Chapter 29- She Doesn't Fall
Hi guys! So this story might not reach 200 review, like I had wanted, but that's okay. As long as I hear some of your thoughts.
Anyway, THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! I can't believe this story has gone so far… But seriously guys, can you just pat yourselves on the back? You are the reason I continued with this story. I loved your reviews and how well you motivated me.
Also, PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!
Enjoy!
Austin's POV
It has been one full day since Ally and my date. One full day since I found out her plan against the paparazzi, and one full day since I got to live my life again. Every moment I get, I go outside and take a walk to nowhere, just basking in the fact that I would never find a reporter hiding behind a tree ever again. Occasionally, I would see them, all dressed in gear, camera slung across their necks, but they would be at a normal, professional distance. I could go wherever I wanted now, without the fear of being caught in a bad situation like my parents—and it was all because of Ally Dawson. She was even in the newest issue of Cheetah Beat! I had found it on my way to school yesterday. The cover was of me, but instead of some fake or rumoured headline across the front, it was just a simple "Austin Moon's Miami Adventure" with pictures of me surfing, and skateboarding around the city. But, what caught my attention was the small quote on page 13. "Austin Moon is one of the sweetest, most amazing, and talented guys I have ever met." This was quoted directly from her, and around the quote were fancy hearts and a title "Auslly." I grin and turn to look at the brunette who was smiling while writing in her songbook. Her eyes were shining with inspiration, her lips curved up into a smile while she sung some new lyrics under her breath. She seemed completely normal for a girl who singlehandedly negotiated with Cheetah Beat to give me back my privacy and freedom. No one mentioned what happened that night, but I will never forget it. Ally had come into my life, and changed it for the better. She made me a good person, taught me how to love music again, and she took matters into her own hands when I refused to, and helped me with the paparazzi. Now, it was my turn to help her.
When we were lying together, drifting to sleep after all the events of that day, I suddenly remembered a conversation we had, where we were confessing to each other about our own lives. I had told her about how I had gotten my big break with Starr Records, whereas Ally let her musical dream slip into the background, since she was convinced there was no chance. Well, that's before you met Austin Moon I think to myself with a smile. Ally suddenly looks over, her songbook now in her bag. She grabs my hand, quickly filling me with warmth.
"Are you ready?" she asks, pointing her chin towards the stage. Today was the day where the entire music class would perform their songs with their partners. Mrs. Suzy moved all of us to the auditorium for a more performance-type feel. She even got some extra students to help with the spotlights. Right now, the pair before us had just finished, and the vivid red and white lights faded out to a standard gold. Mrs. Suzy turns to us and motions for us to head up onto the stage. Ally squeezes my hand firmly before letting go and getting up on stage. I grab my guitar and follow behind her, but before I walk up the stairs, I turn around and search the crowd. Apart from the students, there was a tall adult sitting on a chair, and doing something with his phone. He looks up when he feels my gaze and gives me a nod. Yes! He showed up I mentally exclaim. I would have to thank Jimmy for setting this up for me later. I run up onto the stage and set my guitar up. Within seconds, we are both ready to go, and the crowd silences, anxiously waiting to hear what Pop star Austin Moon and brilliant Honors student Ally Dawson has come up with.
"Hey everybody," Ally greets with a bright smile. "This song is called You Can Come to Me! We hope you'll all enjoy!" The spotlights set off, filling our vision with a soft, pink glow. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the man slide his phone into his pocket and lean up straighter. Ally starts playing the piano, the melodic sound bouncing nicely off the walls. At my cue, I add in the strum of my guitar, creating a perfect balance of sound.
We both lock gazes for a second before we start singing:
(Ally/ Austin/ Both)
When you're on your own,
Drowning alone,
And you need a rope that can pull you in,
Someone will throw it…
I smile as I watch everyone's reaction to Ally's voice. Obviously, they never knew she was this talented. Then, it was my turn.
And when you're afraid,
That you're gonna break,
And you need a way to feel strong again,
Someone will know it…
Ally and I sing together, intertwining our voices, and creating a beautiful sound. But, I sing a little quieter than rehearsed, wanting everyone to hear Ally's voice.
And even when it hurts the most,
Try to have a little hope,
'Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't,
When you don't
If you wanna cry, I'll be your shoulder,
If you wanna laugh, I'll be your smile,
If you wanna fly, I will be your sky,
Anything you need, that's what I'll be…
At this point, I had slowly stopped singing altogether, hoping that Mrs. Suzy wouldn't interrupt us and scold me for not participating. A quick look at her though, and at everyone else, I could see that no one was paying any attention to me. Even the man had his full attention on the brunette. I had stepped back, becoming a mere background instrumentalist. Only Ally, being the observant and caring girl that she was, noticed and she turned her head during the beat break to look at me, a question in her eyes. I just smile and encourage her to keep going.
If you wanna climb, I'll be your ladder,
If you wanna run, I'll be your road,
If you want a friend,
Doesn't matter when,
Anything you need, that's what I'll be,
You Can Come To Me,
You Can Come To Me, Yeah.
The piano trails on another second, and then fades out. All of a sudden, deafening screams and cheers erupt in the auditorium. Clearly, everyone had enjoyed our performance, but there was a specific person I wanted the opinion from…
"Austin, that was incredible!" Ally screams over the noise, giving me a hug, before pulling back and smiling, wide and happy. The bell rings, then, and everyone slowly files out, leaving Ally and I alone, except, there was also the man, who was walking up the stairs towards us. He approaches and shakes my hand first, before turning to Ally. She just stands there, confused and curious.
"Ally Dawson, I was very impressed by your performance. I had already read the song, but seeing you perform live was amazing. Not very many people have such exceptional talent." Ally still stands there, shocked, and the man looks at me pointedly. "Did you tell her yet?" he asks me. I shake my head and tell him that it was meant to be a surprise.
"Well, then, let me get right to the point: Ally Dawson, I am from Ramone Records, and I would like to make a record deal with you."
I think Ally fainted with her eyes open because she stood still, looking at Ronnie Ramone for an unmeasurably long time. Finally, she snapped out of it.
"Wait, what? How—? Are you serious?" Ally gasps, staring back and forth between Ronnie and I. Her eyes were dancing, and she was starting to smile.
"Very serious. I had gotten a call saying that Austin Moon had a fresh and talented young artist that I should go check out. I even got a copy of your song, and after reading it, I decided that you were probably someone worth giving a chance to, and I'm right. So, what do you say? Do you want to make a record with us?" Ally turns to me, awestruck.
"Austin, you did this?" she whispers, on the edge of tears. I nod, and hug her on the side. "You deserve this, Ally. You are the most talented person I know. Besides, this is me thanking you for all you've done for me, too. So, what's your answer?" Ally takes in a deep breath. We're close enough that I can read her like a book. I know that Ally is beyond grateful for this and that she has no words powerful enough to thank me right now. I can also see it in the sparkle of her eyes, and the huge grin on her lips: she has an answer.
"Yes, I would love to. Thank you so much!" Ally exclaims, shaking Ronnie's hand. He smiles and gives her his card.
"We'll set up a meeting later on to sort out the details. Ramone Records will be happy to have you," and with that, he walks away and out the door, officially leaving Ally and I alone.
Then, just like last night, Ally tackles me with a kiss. It takes me a second to register this, and then my hands are on her waist, and hers are combing through my hair, making me shiver. I would never get enough of this: the feeling of Ally's body pressed tight against mine, the smell of her perfume…her. Ally smiles into the kiss, as if she knows what I'm thinking, and wraps her arms tighter around me. When we finally break apart for air, her arms are still around me and we just stand there in an embrace, for an immeasurably long time.
"Thank you, Austin, for everything. This is a dream come true," Ally says into my neck, her warm breath washing over me.
"You know I would do anything for you," I reply, resting my head on Ally's soft cushion of hair. We only stay like that for a few seconds longer before our two friends come barging through the doors.
"Oh my gosh, Ally! I'm so proud of you!" Trish squeals, coming up the stairs to the stage. Her face was glowing with pride and she quickly comes and gives Ally a hug. Ally laughs and hugs her back. "How did you know?" she asks.
"Word travels fast. The whole school is buzzing about this right now!"
"Congrats Ally!" Dez says, joining the circle. "We always knew this day would come."
"It's all thanks to Austin, though. He set this up," she says, and then I'm dragged into the hug too, choruses of "Thanks, man" and "He's a keeper" filling my ears. I grin, glad that everyone was so happy.
"Ooh! We have to go tell your parents!" Trish says, jumping with excitement. The enthusiasm was oozing down the walls and blanketing the air, making us all cheer and dance. Trish is the first one to calm down enough to drag us out of the school, but when we reached Sonic Boom, it happened all over again.
"Honey, I am so proud of you! This is great!" he says to his daughter, and we all have a group hug for the second time. Then, in the next hour or so, Ally is on the phone with her mother, squealing and talking about everything that has happened. I catch my name a couple times, which makes me slightly worried, until Ally shoots me a smile.
We stay in the music store for a while before Mr. Dawson gives us the boot—in a nice way.
"Okay kids, as much as I enjoy the company, you guys should go celebrate without an adult to "harsh your mellow." Go to one of your houses and have a great night. I want Ally to have fun with her friend's tonight." Just then, Ally walks up to us, still smiling. It would be awhile until she calmed down. I remember when I got signed; I couldn't sleep for 3 days.
"Ally," Mr. Dawson says, "You don't have to work tonight's shift. Go out with your friend's." Ally's smile wavers slightly. "Really, Dad? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. You work too hard, honey. Besides, business will be low tonight. The only thing I'll be doing is making up posters to advertise "Sonic Boom as the proud hangout of Ramone Records new artist Ally Dawson!"
"Okay, thanks Dad!" Ally gives her dad a quick hug before we leave the store. The last word's we hear from Mr. Dawson is "Maybe that title is too long…"
The four of us stand outside in the warm air, deciding on where to go.
"I think we should go watch a movie!" Trish says, telling us about this hunk of beef in this new movie that we would all enjoy. Ally giggles, while Dez and I share a 'really?' look.
"What about dinner at that fancy restaurant down town? Uh… The Pasta Palace!" Dez suggests. This time, Ally and I wince, and share a look close to something like "Oh, no way!" I didn't really want to ruin this night by seeing Piper at that restaurant again. That was not even an option. I raise my arms, thinking of a solution.
"Okay, how about we just go to my house and watch a movie that we all like, and have an indoor picnic. It'll be cool!" I say, a grin appearing on my face. It would just be a relaxing night, yet fun and entertaining. Not only was it a great congratulatory celebration, in a down casted way, it was also an excuse to spend a night together with all my friends, something that hasn't happened in a while. They all nod, accepting the idea.
"Alright, then, it's settled," Ally clasps her hands together, "Austin and Dez, you guys go and get a movie, and Trish and I will go out to buy some food for the picnic." We all nod, and I kiss Ally on the cheek before we split up and walk down the street.
Later…
We meet at my house about an hour later, all of us carrying bags. I fish out my keys and open the door, gesturing for everyone to go in. On instinct, I sweep a glance at the front lawn, expecting the paparazzi to come flying out of their vans, and start blinding me with their cameras. I guess I haven't completely wrapped my head around all of this yet. I shut the door and meet my friends in the living room, surprised to already see most things set up.
The room was dimmed for the movie, but I could still see everything clearly. On the floor, a thick blue blanket stretched across the floor, on it an assortment of foods: sandwiches, fruits, cookies, a jar of pickles (of course), and the pancake griddle from the kitchen. Beside it was pancake mix and syrup.
"Pancakes!" I shout, running over to the blanket, and turning on the griddle. Behind me, Ally sighs.
"Even as Austin's girlfriend, pancakes still hold the number one place in his heart," Ally says. I turn around to see her smirking at me, and dramatically fanning herself with her hand. Trish and Dez laugh loudly. I get up and go over to Ally, securing her I my arms.
"You know that pancakes will never compare to you," I whisper in her ear, immediately sending Ally into a blush. She playfully shoves me away, and goes over to the picnic blanket. "So, are we watching the movie first, or eating?" she questions us, eyeing the bag that I was still holding. A silent demand. I pull the movie out and show the girls.
"We got Bikini Blood Bash 2!" I exclaim, giving Dez a wild grin. Ally and Trish share horrified looks, and glare at us.
"Okay, Austin, they have no taste. Just show them the other one," Dez calls up, his hands already working the pancake griddle and pouring the batter.
"The other movie we got…" I fish out the other disk, "is Better Together. It's about these friends who are all different, but they come together, and go through crazy adventures to take on the world. We thought that was a good choice for tonight."
The girl's smile and exchange words with their eyes. It's something that only girls seem to know how to do. Ally walks up to me and takes the disk. "It's a perfect choice."
Later…
After our indoor picnic—which was amazing, by the way, with delicious food, and Trish throwing grapes at Dez—we settled down for the movie. I grabbed a couple blankets and laid them on the ground for Dez and Trish, who continuously persisted they sit on the floor, and then I met Ally on the couch. She was sitting and talking to Trish, her face brightening with whatever her best friend was saying. I smile and sink into the couch, my arm automatically going to Ally's shoulder. She looks at me warmly and leans her head on me, her eyes trained on the TV. "Hit play, Dez."
The movie starts and already, we're all enjoying it. It was hilarious, with everyday clichés and exciting adventures. And, call me weird, but the main male actor looked a lot like me…
"Alex… I can't go with you guys on vacation. I know this was our dream but, something came up. I am so sorry…" the main female character, Amy reveals, her eyes alit with tears. Beside me, Ally is pressing tighter into me.
"I wouldn't know what I would do without any of you," Ally confesses, making us smile, and some of us cry. Dez grabs a tissue. "I thought this was a comedy!" he wails, leaning against Trish's shoulder. Unfortunately for him, Trish smacks him away a second later.
In the end, Amy changes her mind and goes on vacation with Alex and her other friends, deciding that she couldn't be without them. The movie ends with, you guessed it: "We're better together!"
The disk stops and all of us actually get up and cheer. That was the type of impactful movie that moves people and changes their way of thinking. Especially Dez's. He stands up and starts to walk to the back door.
"Dez, where are you going, man?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at my unpredictable friend. He scoffs and gestures to the door.
"Uh outside, duh. I need to make a wish on a star to make sure you guys will always be my friends." Cue the "Aw, Dez's" because that was the only word coming out of everyone's mouth, even mine, except mine was manlier.
"Aw, Dez!" I smile at him. Who knew I would ever find such amazing people in my life. The ones who like me for me, and not because I'm a star, and are genuinely great friends.
"You know what? I think we should all go out and wish on a star," I decide, gripping Ally and Trish's hands. We go outside and luckily, the temperature was still warm enough at night that we didn't need sweaters. We look up, and amazingly, there was a single gleaming star in the night. Dez is suddenly on the ground, his arms up behind his head. We all copy his motions, and lie down, as if the star was just a bright 3D wall sticker on the ceiling.
"Make a wish guys!" Dez calls, closing his eyes and muttering something under his breath. I close my eyes, too, and make a wish. I wish to have a long lasting relationship with my friends, especially Ally. A part of me can feel that all my friend's wishes are similar.I turn to Ally, who has just opened her eyes again. "What did you wish for?" I gently nudge her, curious to hear her exact words. Ally laughs and looks me in the eyes. "Don't you know that if you say your wish out loud, it doesn't come true?" she asks. We are both looking each other in the eyes, and everything feels peaceful. Dez and Trish were probably still wishing, the moon was bright, casting us in a yellow glow, and the warm breeze curled through our hair. Ally sighs, and suddenly grabs my hand. She has a sparkle in her eyes, and when she speaks, it shocks me through my entire body.
"Austin? I think… I love you," she confesses, immediately biting her lip afterwards, waiting for my response. I was speechless. This beautiful girl in front of me had just said she loves me. And I completely feel the same way.
"I love you too, Ally," I say, wrapping my arms around her and bringing her close. "More than you can imagine," I whisper in to her hair, feeling her sigh and hold me tighter. Behind us, I hear Dez and Trish go "Awwww!" and I smile. Everything was perfect.
Then, my phone rings, slicing through the serene atmosphere. Ally and I grudgingly let go of each other so that I can answer my phone. Yet, who knew that would've put an end to our perfect night? Certainly not me, since I clicked the button and my mom's voice came flowing from the other side.
"Hello, sweetie," my mom greets across the line. Immediately, this sends red sirens blaring through my head. My parents haven't contacted me in months.
"We're happy to hear that you've changed your attitude, Austin. We've read about how amazing you've been these past couple of months," my mom says happily. But, before I can say anything, she attacks me with her next line, "So, your dad and I are coming to take you back home. We've just boarded the airplane, and by this time tomorrow, you'll be back in California. Be ready!" Then, the line goes dead as she hangs up.
For the first few minutes, I think I blanked. I was aware of my friends calling my name, but I didn't have the strength to answer. My hand fell slack and my phone dropped to the ground. How was this happening? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!? Finally, I snap out of it, and still not talking to the people behind me, I get down and grab my phone, my hands shaking as I redial my mom.
Voicemail. She had probably turned on Airplane Mode, which meant that she really was coming here. By this time tomorrow, you'll be back in California… I tremble with anger, but mostly sadness. I had no input in this decision, and now I am forced to leave. My city, my friends… Ally. The one girl who cared about me more than I probably deserved. The girl who loved me…
I turn to my friends, aware of the tears in my eyes, and I can see them react to my expression. Ally slowly approaches me, her hands outstretched with a silent question.
I finally find my voice. "I… I'm moving back to California—tomorrow."
THE END
I assume that most of you, or all of you, probably don't like the way that this story ended… hehe. I guess that if you wanted, you can just pretend that this story ended before Austin's phone rang at "Everything was perfect" but, I shaped this story so that there would be a sequel. Yes, a sequel, because I'm not that mean.
So, REVIEW and tell me what you think, and what you want. Do you guys want a sequel? Do you guys hate me right now? I hope not…
Okay, until next time, since I'll be posting a new story soon!
—WritingWithHeart