Risks. We all take them when we're desperate. The Germans took a risk in voting Hitler and his Nazi party into power because they were unhappy with the weak Weimar government. Kim Il-Sung took a risk when he crossed the 38th Parallel with his troops in an attempt to invade South Korea. President Truman took a risk when he gave the go-ahead to drop the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Justin Bieber's mom took a risk when she let him hop on that plane to Atlanta to meet Scooter Braun, which changed his life and launched his remarkable career.

Sometimes, a risk may turn out to be the best decision you've ever made. And sometimes, they turn out to be the worst.

This is such a bad idea.

Why, oh why did I agree to Adam's idiotic plan? Austin not only did not give two shits about Adam using me to get Trish jealous, but he also encouraged him.

Idiots. Both of them. They aren't worthy of being the princes of Moon's Mattress Kingdom (their parents' mattress company).

"What would you do if I told you that I la-la-la-la-loved you?" I sang while figuring out the chords on the piano. That was genius – possibly the best lyrics I've ever written but it sounded very familiar… I don't have a good feeling about this.

Austin confirmed my suspicion. "That's 'La La' by The Cab. Try harder," he said, looking up from his copy of 'Fifty Shades Darker'.

"Well, we could be working on an original song if someone hadn't loaned his guitar to Dez!" I snapped.

He held up his hands in defense. "Sorry Ally, but he said it was urgent!"

Speaking of the devil, Dez sauntered in with a rather worried look on his face.

"Um… Austin?" he said feebly.

"Sup Dez?"

"I… kinda… well…" he muttered. "See for yourself." He walked outside of the practice room and dragged in a wrecked acoustic guitar.

It was a sorry sight. All six strings had snapped and the strings were sticking out from the headstock like Medusa's hair. The body was smashed and you couldn't even tell it was a guitar if not for its strings and its dreadnought shape.

"Fuck man, what the fuck did you do?!" Austin shrieked as he ran over to the guitar and held his guitar, tears streaming down from his doe-like eyes. He was extremely attached to that guitar – I gave it to him on his thirteenth birthday.

"I wanted to try using it as a frying pan to cook eggs and bacon but apparently that didn't work out…" Dez said, avoiding eye contact with Austin. He was staring at his feet like they were the most fascinating thing in the world. Which they were – Dez was wearing gigantic polka-dotted clown shoes.

"Why in the name of the Jonas Brothers would you do that?!" Austin screamed. Austin was rarely mad and when he was angry, he was more explosive than an atomic bomb.

"I was hungry…"

That's typical Dez for you. He never thinks before he acts and he always ends up in the weirdest situations. We can never stay mad at Dez, though. The last time he pissed one of us off, it was me he pissed off and that was when he broke my trombone. Boy, was I mad! But those guilty puppy dog eyes of his let him get off with almost anything.

Just to digress a bit, Dez's party was a hit! Almost everyone in the school turned up and it was really heart-warming to see that people actually cared about Dez's win in the competition and actually struck up conversations with him about it. You should've seen Dez's face, it was amazing to see how happy he was then.

"Sorry Dez, I shouldn't have freaked out on you," Austin apologized. "I'm still mad at you but I forgive you."

Dez's face lit up as he pulled Austin into a bro-hug and they did their signature handshake. It was a really complicated handshake – they started by slapping each other's hands and ended it off with a high-pitched "What up?" Boys, I'll never get them.

"No babe, not in public," I giggled embarrassedly as Adam started kissing my neck. We were currently at our favorite diner, the Melody Diner, with Austin and Trish. Dez was working on the script for his next short film so he couldn't come with us.

Trish was shooting us death-glares while Austin was reading the menu.

Melody Diner was one cool diner. The staff there sang everything – the menu, the orders, everything! It was beyond cool though it was really exhausting for the staff. Trish had worked there before and let's just say that all didn't end well…

"Lovebirds, hey," Trish snapped her fingers in front of us. Adam disconnected his lips from my neck (thank goodness, it was nice but it just wasn't Austin, you know? I felt like I was cheating on him right in front of his face… except that he wasn't even jealous because I'm not his girl and he's not my boy) and looked at Trish.

"Hmm?" he mumbled as he intertwined our hands on the table and started playing with my fingers. He was a brilliant actor, I'll give him that.

Trish shot me a death glare. "Keep your hands to yourself," she said to Adam but she was staring right at me. Ooh, somebody's a green-eyed monster! I was happy for Adam. At the rate we were going, he'd have his girl in no time. And I'll be left to my own devices, trying to get Austin to see me as more than a friend.

Yipee.

Adam blushed and Austin sent me a I-know-what-you-and-Adam-are-up-to-good-job-liger wink, which sent butterflies and dragonflies straight to my tummy. Oh my shizzles.

"I'll have a cookies 'n' cream smoothie with pickles on the side," I announced to the group and turned to Adam. "What are you having, babe?"

"I'll share the smoothie with you, Ally-munchie-poo," Adam said in a sickeningly cute voice. If he weren't my best-friend-cum-love-of-my-life's twin brother, I probably have whacked him on the butt with pickles. Or maybe just carrots – I loved pickles so, so, so much and I would never waste one on Adam. Like, ever. You have no idea how much I love pickles. Let's put it this way, if both Austin and a pickle proposed to me, I'd pick the pickle and I'd probably have an extramarital affair with Austin. Or maybe I could move to a country where polygamy was permitted and marry the both of them.

Trish just gave us the stink-eye.

Austin high-fived Adam. Austin's motto in life is to piss me off and he knew that sickeningly-sweet nicknames were a big no-no for me. I rolled my eyes and stole a sideway glance at Trish who looked upset and heartbroken.

Scoooore! I knew I was being a lousy friend but I knew this ploy was sure to get her with Adam. You'll thank me later, Miss Trish de la Rosa.

Adam leaned in to my ear and whispered, "Act like I'm saying something really cute and giggle." I complied and giggled as girlishly as I could. "Oh Adam, you're soooo funny!" I exclaimed as I used my index finger to flick Adam's nose.

I discreetly pulled out my cell and texted Austin, 'I'm going to the washroom, why don't you leave about two minutes after I do so we can give the lovebirds some alone time?'

Three seconds later, Austin's cell beeped and he smirked as his eyes scanned through my message. He gave me another wink and gave me a thumbs-up. Operation Get-Adam-and-Trish-AKA-Tradam-together was underway!

Austin and I met up at the Sonic Boom, which was just two stores away from the Melody Diner. Adam was in on the plan, and he planned on professing his love to her while we were gone. Aww! A happy tear slid down my eyes. Oh, they grow up so fast!

We were in the practice room and Austin was strumming on his new guitar which he bought from my store and we were working on the ballad, which we titled "I Think About You".

"I think about you every morning when I open my eyes, I think about you every evening when I turn out the lights," Austin sang while looking straight into my eyes – that was the first line of the song. He was right, it did sound better on the guitar than on the piano!

I stared straight back at him. I tried to pull away, afraid that he would see right through me and find out about my crush on him, but I just couldn't. I was glued to the spot. The way Austin sang so sincerely and the passion of fire in his eyes… wow. He must really love this girl.

"I do," Austin said softly. Oops, I must've said my thoughts aloud again. That always happens to me…

I smiled back at him, pretending to be happy for him. Well, I was happy for him but not for myself.

"Go get her, liger," I encouraged. No Ally, why are you doing this to yourself?! I'm just trying to be a supportive best friend! Not if it compromises your happiness! Get out of my head, annoying inner voice!

Austin put down his brand new guitar – carefully – and engulfed me in a tight hug.

"Thanks for everything, Ally. I love you," he said, squeezing me tight.

My heart stopped beating after I heard those three words. It wasn't the first time Austin had told me that he loved me – he always threw the word around oh-so-casually like "Love ya Als" or "You're the best, I love ya". But here we were, hugging, alone in the building, and our (or rather, my) hormones were raging. Do the math.

"You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for," he continued and kissed my cheek. And just like that, those few seconds of happiness were sucked out of me, along with my soul.

"You too, Austin. You too."