Two Stars- An Auslly Fanfiction

Chapter 1

I sit peacefully in the center of my favorite part of the forest, a clearing where the trees have high branches, creating lots of space, protected from above by a giant canopy of leaves. There’s a shallow creek running through the area, and several big boulders that I can sit on.

It’s also the perfect place for music. Raleigh and mom got me a guitar for my twelfth birthday. It’s my most prized possession. With a container of cherries I’d picked on the way, I was soaking in the beautiful sound. Music is truly my favorite thing in the world. It took me nearly two years to learn to play the guitar, all from reading the books Raleigh would occasionally check out for me from the library. I’m still not perfect, there’s always stuff to learn. But I’m a lot better now.

The way the wind blows through the trees in the late spring goes very well with my guitar music. Or maybe it’s just me; my fine-tuned ears can pick up nearly any sound in the forest. But then I hear a sound that does not fit in. A car horn honking, a horn I’ve never heard before. I stop singing, my hands stop playing.

I slowly stand, creeping away from my spot, until I reach the edge of the thick trees. I see a bright orange car in front of the house. The car is orange! I’ve never seen an orange car before. But to be fair, I’ve seen very few cars since living here.

A girl and her mom are walking up to my home. The girl is my height, but similarities end there. While my hair is wavy, chestnut brown, hers is straight, and nearly as orange as her car. Her clothes are considerably better than mine, but don’t mistaken me for jealous. She’s surely from somewhere with a cause to look pleasing, somewhere where people actually care about her appearance. Here, no one gives a second glance to what I wear. As long as I’m not like, you know, naked or anything, I’m fine. Never once has a person commented on my outfit. There’s no point.

“What’s her name again?” the girl asks. Her voice is higher pitched than mine. Not squeaky, but getting there. Not the best voice for singing, either.

“Ally,” her mother answers, and I frown in surprise as I realize they’re talking about me. “And Sabby? Try not to be too judgmental. This is the only life they know.” Sabby? Now that is a strange name, even by my standards. She ties her bright hair back into a ponytail.

“Seriously? Then don’t you think it’s kind of mean to take her, them, away from all of this?” Panic fills my veins, my heart thumping rapidly. They’re going to take me away? I don’t even know these people! They’re taking me away from the orchards, away from the forest, away from the biggest part of who I am? Away from my home?

Sabby’s mom never gets to place an input, because then my mom opens the front door.

“Oh!” she says, her face nearly as panicked-stricken as mine must be. “Susan! Sabrina!” Well now her name makes sense. “You’re early! Ally-she’s not ready yet! I’ll, um, I’ll go get her. Eli!” she calls, and he comes running to the door. Mom looks out towards the woods, where she knows I always am. I duck behind a tree. My hands are shaking so badly, it’s a good thing my guitar is hanging around my shoulder, or I would have dropped it.

I can’t leave here. This is my whole life, nothing else matters more. Take away my books, my voice, my guitar, even. But not this.

I won’t survive. One look at Sabrina, and I know it for a fact.

“Ally!” mom calls. I’m hidden. Usually when she calls, I know to come back to the house. But not this time. When I peer around the tree, at these strangers here to abduct me, I know I can’t come out.

Then I look closer at Sabrina, and from a few yards away, I can see that she’s staring back.  She sees me, but says nothing, despite my mom’s pleads. I have never, ever been more grateful. As I run in the opposite direction, I wonder why I’m so thankful towards her. She’s the one dragging me out of here.

I end up where I was before, which isn’t smart, because this will make it easier for my mom to find me. I’m nearly always at this spot. I angrily kick the cherry bucket, and while I do regret it, out of spite, I don’t clean them up.

I start to strum my guitar, though I know this will pinpoint now exactly where I am. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, she comes. She takes in the spilled fruit, but doesn’t brush upon the subject.

“Ally. I called you so many times. We have company.”

“I know.” So many things I want to shout at my mother, but I can’t bring myself to. Instead, I can’t help bursting into tears.

“I don’t want to leave here! You can’t make me!” Mom sighs.

“Ally, it’s only for a couple of months.” This makes me feel slightly better, yet I still can’t imagine living anywhere but here.

“But-“I sniffle, “why?”

“Look, hon. Grandpa isn’t feeling so well. You and Eli are just gonna go live with Sabrina and her mom, in the city a few hours away, until he gets better.”

“Who is she?”

“She’s your cousin.” I didn’t know Grandpa was sick. I didn’t know I had any cousins. How many more secrets, I wonder, is my mother keeping from me?