"Waitin', watchin' the clock, it's four o'clock, it's got to stop," I stop and take a breath and start again. I play the haunting beautiful melody.

"Tell him, take no more, she practices her speech
As he opens the door, she rolls over...
Pretends to sleep as he looks her over.

She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man...
She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man...
Can't find a better man
Can't find a better man
Ohh...

Talkin' to herself, there's no one else who needs to know...
She tells herself, oh...
Memories back when she was bold and strong
And waiting for the world to come along...
Swears she knew it, now she swears he's gone

She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man...
She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man...
She lies and says she still loves him, can't find a better man...
She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man...
Can't find a better man
Can't find a better man
Yeah...

She loved him, yeah... she don't want to leave this way
She feeds him, yeah... that's why she'll be back again,"

I stopped and tried to breathe but they kept coming out in shaky, short breaths. I look around the floor and find the discarded bottle of Motrin. I stumble and take one before I rest my head in my hands, and rock to calm my breathing.

"Any reason you're singing Pearl Jam?"

I look up, a mess of blonde hair leaned against the door frame. His face crossed with concern.

"Just needed to sing, that's the song on the top of my head," I sighed; we both knew it was more than that.

He sighed and sat down on the floor, behind the piano bench. I waited a few seconds and played around with a melody before I sunk down onto the floor next to him. We lay there looking at the ceiling for a few moments. It was nice to not talk, I didn't want to but knowing Austin, he would want to talk.

"Pearl Jam, interesting choice, but still a good one," he murmured into open space.

"I love Pearl Jam," I state.

"I meet the lead singer at a bar when I was on tour," he looked over at me.

"That's awesome," I smile and look at him.

We stare at each at other, "Jay?"

I shrug and reach my hand over to play with the wisps of his hair, "I don't if I should talk about it."

"You don't have to."

I sigh and stop playing with his hair but I don't move my hand, "I don't know if it's all meant to be."

He frowned and looked down, "My favorite Pearl Jam lyric would be: I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be the sun in somebody else's sky, but why. Why, why can't it be, why can't it be mine."

"That's a verse not a lyric but it's still beautiful," I say quietly.

"It's relevant," he mumbles.

I blush and then sit up, he sits up as well. I turn around and hug him. I don't know why but I felt like a needed to. We sit there for a long time, with our arms around each other. Eventually, we get up and his hand slips into mine. We walk to the door, he's reluctant to let me leave. He pulls me into a hug then sees me off. I have a faint smile on the ride back, I think about the lyrics he was talking about. At the light, I pulled out a CD that I knew Jay kept in the car and slipped in. The song that he was talking about is the first to play, I smile and sing along.

By the time I to the parlor, I have listened to the whole album, and I'm drifting in a cloud of music. The people around me look at me funny, probably because I was singing in the middle of the street. It didn't matter they can think whatever they want to. I reach the familiar parlor and take a deep breath before going in, there's no at the counter so I make my way to the back. That's when I hear yelling and screaming, first it scares me but I turn the corner and see the office window. Delilah has her hands up and Jay is sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

"Really Jay! You've been so good for so long, why start now!" she screams, he shakes his head.

"You don't know! That's the biggest load of bullshit, and I know it!"

He doesn't respond, her face twists with anger, and then it fades and replaces with a look of dread.

"Oh, Jay. What about Ally? Why would you do this to Ally?"

I can't hear his response, what about me? What about me?

"Jay if you don't tell her I will," she says, his head shoots up and he shakes his head.

"She doesn't deserve this," and with that, she picks up a few things off the floor and gathers them into her small arms and heads to the door. I take this time to run, I run down the street and to my building. I go to my apartment and change into my work clothes. I sit in my kitchen thinking about what I walked into. What about me? What was so bad? These questions ran through my head that I almost didn't hear my phone ring. I weakly reached for it and answered.

"Hello, Ally speaking."

"Hey, it's Jay."

I freeze and manage to sputter out, "Hey Jay."

"Ya, can we talk after you're done with work?" he voice sounded strained.

"Oh, I have to record with Austin."

"Oh, but we need to talk."

"Okay," I hang up before he can say I love you because I don't think I can say it back. I get up and find a jacket and my bag then dial Austin's number.

He answers on the first ring, "Hello?"

"Hey Austin, can we hang out after work tonight?"

"Ya sure, what time is your shift over?"

I rack my brain, "Um, one."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

I hang up and shove my phone in my bag. I walk to work, the bartenders are cleaning like they are supposed to and the waitresses and in the break room laughing and giggling. I walk in then it goes dead quiet.

"Suck up."

I turn around and look around, then I see the very person who said it. Jane.

"Would you like to repeat that?"

"Suck. Up."

I smile nicely, "Jane would you care to join me inside my office."

She gives me a smug smile then stands up and follows behind me. I unlock my office door and then gesture to the seat in front of the desk. She sits down; I take my time getting situated then I sit down across from her. I log into the computer and search her name. I smirk at the screen the look at her.

"Jane, how has your day been?"

"Pretty good. And you?"

"Good, thank you. Now about the comment earlier."

"What about it?"

I laugh, then turn the screen forwards her.

"You have five incidents, the most you can have is three."

She looked at the screen then leaned back.

"What are going to do? Fire me?"

I roll my eyes, "I'm not feeling too nice today Jane, so you know what you are fired."

Shock registered on her face, "I suggest you collect your things and then get out."

She stood up; I shook her hand then followed her out of the office. I lock the door behind me; I grabbed a pair of waitress clothes from the storage closet and change. When I walk into the into the break room, all the girls stare at me with a surprised look. I don't meet any of their eyes. The bell sounds and we all get ready. The girl behind me tugs on my apron, I turn she's my height and one of the girls that was friends with Jane.

"Thank you."

I smile and then file into the club. It's packed as always, I pull my way through the crowd to the V.I.P. section and start leading people to private tables. When they fill I start to fill orders. It's this that keeps my mind from wandering back to earlier that day. The time flies by and I check out and lock up the office and change into the clothes I brought with me. I grab my bag and go to the back door. Sure enough, Austin standing in the ally way. I smile and he smiles back.

"So what shall we do?" he asks.

"Go to Denny's"

He shrugs and we start to walk. It's not that far, but it's still near the mall, which isn't close. He opens the door, I thank him and we find a table. We sit in silence, we order and he starts to talk about the album. We start discussing lyrics and melodies. We drift from subject to subject. Then they ask us if can leave so they can close. He walks me to my apartment building and then hugs me. We say our good byes. I walk into my apartment and drop my bag and coat next to the door. I look up and I see Jay. He's sitting on my couch twiddling his thumbs likes he's been here awhile.

He looks up and sighs, "Hey Ally."

"Hey, Jay."

"We need to talk."

Review?

I do not own Pearl Jam. I do not own Austin and Ally, BUT I do own the OC's and the plot.

THANK YOU! Thank you so much for all the support!