This story has a happy ending. (An R5 Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

Austin shows up with flowers and an apology at the worst possible moment. Melonie was staring at Ross, waiting for him to say something, when the doorbell rang.

Ross had just told Melonie he had something important to tell her, a secret he had been keeping too, and he was about to spill. But Austin interrupted.

"What do you want?" Melonie asks when she sees him. "You know I can't have flowers."

"Who is this?" Ross asks, looking between Melonie and Austin.

"This is Austin," Melonie tells Ross, hoping he'll remember what she told him about her first crush. The slow change in his facial expression, from confused to upset, tells her he's put the pieces together. "Austin and I went on a date a couple months ago and he was an asshole, so I told him never to speak to me again."

Melonie had been excited when Austin asked her out at chemo that day even though she had some reservations because of Ross. Still, the two went on their date a week later, an off week for both of their treatments, and Austin seemed to be a perfect gentleman. He opened doors for her and held her hand and told her she looked pretty even though she knew she didn't.

But then, as he was driving her home, Austin stopped on a quiet, dark side street and turned off the car. He reached over and pulled Melonie close to him, too harshly, and started to kiss her. She pushed on his shoulders to get him to back off but she was weak from treatment and cancer. Since force wasn't working, she did the next best thing. She bit his lip. Hard.

He flew back in his seat, yelling in pain, and asked her what the hell was wrong with her. "With me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Come on Melonie, we're both old enough to know this is how these things go."

Melonie laughed then, because she didn't know what else to do, and demanded he take her home. He couldn't very well say no at that point so he drove her to her house and she got out without so much as a glance back in his direction. Her parting words were "Never speak to me again" and a slam of the front door.

"I came to apologize," Austin says, putting the flowers down on the table. He hadn't so much as glanced at Ross which was a warning flag for Melonie. He was too focused, too intense. The way he had been that night when he kissed her.

Melonie laughs. "I don't want to hear your apology, Austin. Please, just leave me alone."

He starts towards her and she steps back, scared. Ross gets between them. He puts his hands on Austin's shoulders and pushes him backwards. Ross is stronger than Austin and he almost falls over with the slight push. "She said leave."

"And who are you?" Austin asks, finally looking at the other person in the room. His eyes study Ross's face and then flicker with recognition. "Hey I've seen you before. On TV."

"What are you talking about?" Melonie asks.

"This is Ross Lynch!" Austin says, pointing at Ross and grinning like a madman. He paces around the living room. "What are you doing traipsing around with a movie star? Is that why you wouldn't give it up that night? You thought this hot shot would be interested in you? As if, Melonie. Guys like him don't even talk to girls like you unless they're getting publicity out of it."

With that, Austin turns and leaves, taking the flowers with him. Melonie watches from her spot on the couch, too tired to stand up and too confused to say anything.

"I can explain," is what Ross says, which only confirms that Austin was right.

"So that's your big secret," she says. "You're not just some guy. You're an actor." Melonie watches Ross as he walks towards her. "I've lived in LA my whole life and I've never met an actor outside of a hospital before. You know, they come visit the hospitals and take pictures with the sick kids so they can say they did something good or whatever."

Ross doesn't say anything because he can tell Melonie isn't done yet.

"Did you ever even have a hurt knee?"

The pain in her voice causes Ross to drop to his knees in front of her. "Yes, of course. None of that was a lie. I was at the children's hospital because it was less conspicuous. We didn't want anyone to know I was there..."

"You probably thought I was so dumb when I didn't recognize you that first day. Did I hurt your ego or something? So you had to stick around until I figured it out?"

"No, no, no, Melonie you have it all wrong. I liked that you didn't know me. People use me all the time. They think they can get something from me. You never wanted anything from me except, well, me. You made me feel good about myself again."

Melonie reaches for her laptop on the coffee table, a gift from Daddy to make up for never being around. She opens it and types "Ross Lynch" into the search bar. Sure enough, photos and articles pop up containing the same guy who is sitting in front of her right now. She clicks on IMDB and scrolls through his list of movies and TV shows. She laughs when she reads "Austin & Ally."

"You play a guy named Austin," she says. "How fitting."

Melonie isn't mad. Her secret was bigger. She's just hurt. She can't help but wonder what's real – the Ross she got to know at the hospital or the one she sees on her computer screen. She wants to find out if there's a difference.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Ross says as he watches Melonie read about him online.

"I get it," she says, still focused on the laptop. "We're pretty alike, you know? I didn't want you to know I had cancer because it would change how you look at me. I guess the same is true for you."

He stands up and sits next to her, taking her hand from the keyboard and warming it in his. "Exactly. So what's the verdict?"

"What?" she asks, finally looking at him.

"Do you look at me differently now?"

Melonie smiles. "I liked you before I knew you were famous. I still like you now."