Hello everyone! I'm very excited for this chapter and instead of doing three stories and ending this one shorter. I decided to incorporate important parts of the other story into this one. My favorite bit is the last look into the past in the end and I'm very happy with it.

I DO NOT OWN The Dixie Chicks, CVS, or Austin and Ally.

BUT I DO OWN the STORY, the PLOT, and THE WORDS.

Enjoy!

Ally

April 7th 7:30 pm Three Years ago . . .

Today. What a word, today. Today means the day that is happening. Today happens to be a Thursday. An oddball, the most random day. Screw today, Screw Thursday, screw April 7th, screw him.

I was so stupid to think that he would stay, why stay with the randoms' when he could be a star. I'm the stupid one for thinking he even cared.

It wasn't like normal Miami day, I could feel it when I woke up. The air was electric, like I was about to catch fire. However the sky's normal sunlight did not pour into my room, it was dark as the sky. I could smell the rain about to pour but it would wait. I checked my phone immediately before getting out of bed, it did not blink with a new message or a call, I frowned. Last night we got into it, he told me he didn't want me. He didn't need me, I was never important. The words stung, no they burned after three four years of being closer than ever and building a career I thought by now he would care about me, I expected a call or something.

I got out and checked my phone for a message but there was nothing. So I went down stairs, it was oddly quiet. My dad wasn't on a business trip because of the divorce. I frowned again, all of moms' photos were taken down and placed in a box in the dining room along with majority of her stuff. Next to her boxes was pictures of a woman with blonde hair with dark roots. I cringed I would never dye my hair blonde. I checked my phone again and walked into the kitchen, my father wasn't there so that means that he's probably at the store, it was my day off so I decided to make breakfast.

I was halfway through making pancakes when my phone ringed, I jumped and turned the burners off before answering not bothering looking at the caller ID.

"Hello," I answered happily, I immediately recognized the voice.

"Trish?" I asked.

"Ally!" her voice was high like she was trying to hide something.

"Trish, what's going on? I haven't been able to get Austin all morning," I asked feeling like she would know better than me.

"Oh Ally, no one told you did they," she asked her voice faltered.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "What happened Trish."

"Ally. Austin, Well he left," she said, her voice upset.

I was getting frustrated, "What do you mean he 'left'?"

"He left Miami, he left us," she struggled to say it, the words broke my heart but I couldn't understand.

"Trish what are you saying," I asked again.

"Jimmy got him into new record deal, in LA. He got a new team, new manager, new video director, new song writer, everything. Didn't you get an email? He's gone Als, he left Miami and gave us a measly goodbye."

My throat was dry, I slide onto the floor and went to my emails on my phone.

Dear Ms. Allyson Dawson,

Mr. Austin Moon terminated his contract with Starr Records to pursue a job with Capital Records in Miami. With the termination of this contract he also terminated your contract and Mr. Dezmond's and Ms. Trish's aswell. With the agreement with Capital he took on a new team with real experience and will no longer need your services. Please do not contact Austin Moon or it will be in violation of the second contract you signed saying that if Mr. Moon terminates his contract to pursue another Record Company without you then you must not interfere. Have a nice day!

Jimmy Starr

"What second contract," I murmured to myself. I hung up my phone and laid on the cool tile, my vision was blurry; it wasn't like any anxiety attack I had ever had. I wasn't sick to my stomach, i didn't have blurry vision. In fact everything was vivid, everything was sharp and cool like I was a bionic human but I couldn't stand so I curled up into a ball. And that's when the rain started.

Ally

Ally

"Ally."

I drag my eyes from the empty cabinet to look at the Latina.

"Ally!" she yells, tears streaming down her face. She is clutching my arms, shaking me. I don't feel the pain, but dear go, did I wish I felt it. Maybe then it would seem real, feel real. But it didn't, it never would feel real. It felt like a joke, like any moment he would pop out with that goofy grin, yelling 'gotcha'. But he never did.

Trish shook me into reality again, again.

"Ally, please! Say something!" she yelled, her voice breaking, her eyes red and puffy.

"Why?" I barely whisper.

"I don't know," she cries, she wraps her arms around me, "he just left."

The tears don't come right away. It's not until Dez runs in asking where is he, in his normal happy self. Then seeing me speechless, and Trish crying does Dez, Dez the happy go lucky boy turn dead serious, does it make me cry. Dez dials his number, I'll never know if he picked up.

But Dez said things, screamed things.

"You selfish bastard! Where are you! You inconsiderate asshole! Do you know what you did! what about us! What about team Austin and Ally! Huh? I hope you do I hope you think about it everyday! Fuck off, fuck you Austin!"

I cried harder then, for Dez to be mad, to be screaming. Realty hit me, and that's when I started freaking out. My breathes came out uneven. My vision blurs. My cries come out in broken sobs.

And then everything blacks.

Trish

4:50 pm

When I found her, she was curled up on the floor staring at the cabinets not speaking. I couldn't get her to look at me, to speak, her eyes were hollow. Her lip trembled when she saw Dez, or more when Dez came in happy like usual. She threw herself into my embrace as she sobbed into my shoulder then she had a panic attack and passed out, Austin hurt her the most.

We helped her upstairs where she sobbed all day. She threw us out at seven to be alone, her dad usually got back at 5

so that meant he was out and wouldn't be back.

We got into Dez's car and slumped into our seats, "That mother fucker."

I turned in shock to Dez, "Where's the loopy Dez?"

He shook his head, "Clearly since Austin decides to be twelve already I have to be the adult. What the fuck is wrong with him?"

I shook my head, "Maybe whiskey has the answers."

He drove us to my house because his parents were having family over and it wasn't like there was anyone home anyway. Mom was in New York, Dad was Tokyo, and my brother was in boarding school in Texas.

My father had the bar every man dreamt of, but hilariously enough he didn't drink. It was my mother who started her day off with a Bloody Mary and a few Vicodin. Her beloved champagne, vodka and Scotch was the only things she watched the levels of. Whiskey, she left under the bar and didn't think twice about it, and with constant business friends sending Crown over it wasn't like we were short of it.

I pulled out some Black Crown and two glasses and two shot glasses. I carried them over to the small table in the corner of the room where a disheveled redhead awaited. I put down the glasses and poured a small sip in mine, I started to pulled away from his but he held my wrist until there was half a glass of the dark amber liquid.

I sat, raised my glass to Dez and he did the same to me and we drank down our glasses worth, Dez finished his with a slight cringe before pouring yet another half glass and the another for me. I felt the alcohol go to my head, I smiled sadly at him. He had tears in his eyes, "What now Trish?"

I thought about it. I was so set on being his manager, I hadn't thought about college about a life outside us, I would be stuck. I couldn't stay here, I needed to leave. After high school at least, I would leave away from this house away from these people. But then I thought of Ally, I couldn't leave her now. I would have to wait, Dez read my face and nodded drinking from his glass.

"How does that not burn?" I asked my voice husky, he smiled then placed the glass on the table.

"I like the burn, it makes me know this isn't a dream."

Three hours later we were completely wasted, or I was I couldn't hold my whiskey I guess I didn't get the alcoholic trait.

I was singing loudly to a song Dez had put on, I couldn't remember the name but I remember the lyrics. I pulled Dez into the open room and danced with him until the melody ended but he didn't let go of me but rather held me closely, his blue eyes shown with something wild.

"Trish?" he whispered.

He bent down and kissed me slowly, my heart fluttered and I wrapped my armed around his neck.

He pulled back, "Trish De La Rosa, I love you."

"Dez, I don't know what to say," I was shocked where is this coming from, "I don't understand."

"I want to be with you, please stay with me," he pleaded. I understood now, he didn't want to be left like Austin had left him.

"Trish, I've been in love with you since junior year but you hated me so I never said anything," he said, his eyes were sincere but the alcohol was messing with my head. I pulled away from him and pointed to the door.

"Get out of my house, Dez," I blurted, he eyes fell. I could feel his heart breaking because mine was breaking too.

"Trish-" he started but I interrupted him.

"Leave, get out of my house! NOW!"

He frowned and got his stuff, then I got my senses back.

"Wait, Dez. I'm sorry, don't leave," I grabbed his hand before he walked out the door.

"Get off of me Trish, you're drunk," he ground out but his voice was strained. I hated myself for what just said.

"Dez please don't drive," I pleaded, squeezing his hand.

"Like you give a shit Trish, don't worry I'm not stupid," with that he tugged his hand away from mine and slammed the door.

I felt numb I wandered into the bar and had another glass of whisky and another and another and another until I ended up passed out in the bathtub of the master sweet.

May 5th

I hadn't seen Ally in three days, she hadn't been in school for a week and a half and the last I heard she wasn't eating. Dez hadn't been in school the week after he left and these past four days. Rumors were running wild, Austin got Ally pregnant and then ran away from the commitment, Ally and Austin got a record deal in LA and dropped out of school, Ally dropped out to get married to Austin, Dez and Ally had a secret affair. Each one made my skin crawl.

I was sitting in history and our teacher was taking role, "Ally Dawson."

He waited then sighed taking off his glasses, "Does anyone know where Ally is?"

I opened my mouth but Lilly Esposa answered before me, she was a cheerleader that had been chasing all of our high school years, "I heard she was getting an ultrasound."

"And you believe that," surprisingly it wasn't me, it was the teacher.

"Well we all know Austin dumped her like a hot potato so she has to have something wrong with her," she sneered, examining her long nails.

"Well at least she even had Austin, I heard he liked girls who eyes weren't close together, maybe that's why you're so bitter," this time it was me, and this time she snapped her head around and glared at me.

"Oh what is this. Trish, the tag along wants to start something," she laughed, "well he probably kept you around for charity."

I smiled coyly at her, "You think you can hurt me, bitch. You want to say how Ally's pregnant, you know your 15th abortion at Planned Parenthoods is free."

The class was already quiet but this was the teacher as well, "You bitch."

Like any bitch fight she went for my hair and like any fight I'm in I went for her plastic nose with my closed fist. A screech and two referrals later I was sitting next to her in the office with a rag to her nose, as she screamed 'She broke my nose'.

"I didn't break your nose," I yelled over her, she backed up into her chair.

"Its my nose," she shot back.

"Are you sure? We went to elementary together unless you can change your bone structure then that I not your nose Miss Piggy," that was her nickname all elementary.

She scoffed just when the principal called us into the office.

Basically she started it by egging me on and spreading rumors and she started the fight, but I had caused damage, I didn't argue instead I accepted the three day suspension and drove to Allys'"

I went in through the back, Ally's door was closed. Dez was leaned against reading her, the section in History beside him was the Econ book and a book we were reading in English.

He glanced up at me then immediately looked down and continued reading the chapter.

I heard her humming on the other side of the door, Dez set down the book and knocked on the door. It fell open, gracefully. She was laying on the floor, she had dark bags, unbrushed hair, and a PJs from a week ago.

Dez and I looked at each other, in that moment I hated Austin.

Finals

It was the buzz before senior finals were passed out, Math was my first one. One Ally was supposed to be at, we tried everything yesterday for her to come but she refused to talk us.

The door opened we all turned and expected Mr. Sulser but instead there was a freshly showered Ally Dawson. The room went quiet.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Lilly snickered to her dumb friends that sat in the back.

Ally snorted, "You get new nose job Lils."

Lily blushed scarlet, "Well I'm going to do decent unlike some people."

"Oh honey don't kid yourself, cheerleading doesn't last forever but stripping has the same requirements and doesn't even stray that far from what you do in your free time," Ally's voice was toneless other than her sarcasm, but Ally wasn't sarcastic.

After the final Ally went to her other classes and the only other time I saw her was History and then she was gone.

She showed up for graduation dressed and showered and during grad nite she hooked up with three guys one being Dallas. I didn't say anything but it was good to see her out of her room. But after that I didn't see her all summer.

In the mean time I applied to a fashion school in New York, and the minute I got my acceptance letter I took my things and my money and headed straight to the airport but not before stopping at Ally's.

Her door was closed and when I walked in it was a mess. She was in her window seat staring at her back yard where her mother's rose garden was. Ally was playing with a fraying blanket and a ghost of a smile appeared on her face when I walked in. Austin leaving and the divorce was really eating her, her eyes were puffy and her phone was sitting next to her.

"Hey Als," I said softly, she nodded and moved her feet so I could sit.

"I'll stand. Look Ally, I love you but I'm not staying in Miami, I got accept to a fashion academy in New York and I'm leaving in a hour."

She had a thoughtful look, but the rest of her was dull, her hair was messy and didn't have highlights or even a curl but rather stayed limply at her shoulders, she was skinny and her smile weak.

She didn't say a word but she stood hugged me and sat back down in her window seat and looked at the rose bushes.

I cried driving to the airport, after the night Austin left I hadn't spoken all but once to Dez. So I found no use in telling him I was leaving. I was standing in the line to board the plane, they called my row and I stood followed them in the tunnel and kissed my home goodbye.

Dez

It had been five months and still no word from Austin, I was in some dimly lit bar in a rough part of town. This was where the hookers and the widows played I remember my mom saying to me when we passed this part of town. She was wrong though, this is where washed up directors go and high school drop outs and prostitutes. I couldn't remember the date or the time, but it was late at night or maybe in the early morning. Too drunk to care.

Late July, after Trish left. I was in a dilemma, I was doing absolutely nothing with my life besides sulking, and eventually that would lead to what happened to Ally whom was still locked up in her room but now had drawn her curtain and made herself an artificial night.

I pulled up to her house, there was a U-Haul in the front of the house. when I walked into her house, I expected to find her mother packing her things but I found Lester holding boxes of her Penny's things.

"Hey Mr. Dawson," I greeted setting my hand on the

"Oh hey, Dez. I'm just packing Penny's things for storage," he explained, then added, "Ally is upstairs."

I walked up the stairs to the end of the hall, Ally's door was slightly ajar. She wasn't in so I guessed she was in the bathroom. Her song book was open and there was a a verse filled with scratched lines and rewritten words to make out,

"When the calls and conversations
Accidents and accusations
Messages and misperceptions
Paralyze my mind."

The words stuck, that one verse took up the whole page, it was partly written in blue ink and partly in black. I knew how she was with her book but I was curious so I turned the page,

"Busses, cars , and airplanes leaving
Burning fumes of gasoline
And everyone is running And I come to find a refuge."

"Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay," I read the words out loud, behind me I heard humming turning around I saw Ally watching me interntly.

"I wrote it before he left," she explained, "the chorus at least."

"It's beautiful," I murmured.

She didn't say anything, she only walked over to her book and ripped out three pages with the song on them and handed them to me, "Here."

"Ally, they're yours. I couldn't," I insisted

She rested her hand on my cheek, her eyes were warm.

"Do something with them, heaven knows I won't," she laughed, as moving away from me to sit on her bed. I held the pages delicately to my chest.

I left the house quickly, I sat in my car and read the rest of the lyrics.

Monkeys on the barricades
Are warning us to back away
They form commissions trying to find
The next one they can crucify

And anger plays on every station
Answers only make more questions
I need something to believe in
Breathe in sanctuary in the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

Children lose their youth too soon
Watching war made us immune
And I've got all the world to lose
But I just want to hold on to the

Easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me

The easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay for me
The way you keep the world at bay

It was then that I decided I was going Chicago to go to school for film arts. There was nothing here left for me and I had to leave I would throw it away and work at the Rite Aid.

A week later I had made arrangements to live with my cousins while I try to get into school. The day before my flight, it was raining so she would be locked in her room. The house was empty, her door was shut tightly. I knocked but no was answering. I sighed.

Ally

I heard the knocking, but I ignored it. It was probably Dez and I couldn't find the strength to move.

"Ally," he sighed. The long, sad sigh that Trish used when she told me she was leaving. I knew he was, he wasn't going to stay here, for me. I wasn't going to drag everyone down.

"Ally, I'm so sorry," he cried, his voice wet. I silent tear fell down my cheek.

"We all have to change Als, some for the better. And some for the worst. I have to change who I am because I have to be my own person. Trish had to change because her opportunities changed. It's time for us to change, for the better. We have to move on Ally, it's part of life," he said.

He left, I heard the down stairs door slam. I rolled over and screamed.

September 3rd

I was sitting in a dingy apartment with a girl from highschool, Danny something or another. She was having a party and everyone had left and we sat on her coach drinking a beer and watching late night TV.

I choked when the Tonight Show came on, there he was. Sitting with his brand new girl friend and old friend of mine Kira Starr.

"Hows it going Austin," the host asked, "Oh and you Ms. Kira."

"Its going great I got a huge show coming up soon," he beamed squeezing Kira's hand.

"That's right, here in New York too, Madison Square Garden! That's exciting, when's the date?"

He hesitated but only for a second, I knew the way he bit his lip when he was reluctant, "November 29th."

I shut off the TV and finished my beer, I turned to Danny.

"Would you let me live here?" I asked her, she nodded.

"Of course you can, you can have the second bedroom, I use it for storage. Move in this weekend," she exclaimed.

And I did, I took my stuff that I wanted. All my pictures and journals and my keyboard. And then I left with my car and a box of moms things.

November 29th

I choked down a sob. I'm currently sitting in a parking lot, a new tattoo burning my skin, an empty bottle of beer near my feet, and the image of Austin and Kira's engagement searing my vision.

Happy 18th birthday!

I pull myself from my car, the CVS sign draws e in. I take my time walking there, the automatic doors slide open. They greet me. I walk around, not really looking for anything. Until I pass the beauty section. I pace the expanse of the aisle. My eyes fall on the wall of hair dye. Interesting . . . I trail my hand over the various colors, one catches my attention.

Blonde . . . ironic . . .

I pick up the small box, I turn it over and run my hand over it. Perfect. I began walking again just to stop and think. Why only the hair? Why not change everything?

Dez's words ring in my head,

It's time for us to change, for better. We have to move on.

We can't all change for the better, some have to change for the worse. I may be making a huge mistake, but what a beautiful mistake it will be.

A smirk graced my lips. A smirk? Something so compelling, something so daring. I figured I like the smirk.

A blonde haired rebel wouldn't wear soft browns and light pinks.

No she would wear converse, band shirts, ripped jeans, leather. She would have sharp edges and a sultry gaze.

Never again would I be dubbed the nerd, shy, reserved, pure. They would look at me amazed, surprised, horrified at the transformation. And I liked that.

I picked up red lipstick, red. it was fierce. Black eye liner followed. Tough, sharp, daring. Then the essentials. Red and black, blonde and short, fierce and wild. The cashier gave me a questioning look, but rung me up.

"Anything else?" he asked.

I pondered the question what else?

"Can I get a pack of cigarettes and a lighter?"

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