Collected

Chapter 8

Allison's P.O.V.

"I am so sorry Austin. I should appreciate you caring about me and it's my fault!" I said letting out tears. "Your fault for what?" he let go and stepped back. "Everything!" I said laughing and wiping away tears. Just then my ankle gave out. Talk about bad timing.

Austin gasped. "Ali! Are you ok?" he asked. "Yeah I'm fine I just walked ten minutes back to the tents and ran ten minutes to get you. I just used it too much." I said laughing in pain. "Doesn't it hurt after all that?" he asked concerned. "Yeah, actually it hurts like hell!" I said laughing again. "Why do you keep making jokes?" he asked giggling. "Because, if I don't think about the pain then I won't feel the pain." I explained. "Then maybe the jokes shouldn't be about the pain." Austin said being a smart ass. "That would probably help!" I said laughing.

I got up but then I fell back down "OW!" I screamed "I'll carry you." Austin said starting to wrap one hand around my back and his other hand under my legs.

"Thanks for helping me, but I really don't get it." I said confused. Austin started walking then asked, "Don't get what?" as soon as we got off the bridge I stopped him. "Put me down." I said. "Why? We barely started walking." He said. "I didn't mean to sound rude, I just need to talk to you and its weird this way."

He put me down and looked at me. "What?" I said. "Nothing. I just want to know why you wanted to talk." He said laughing. "Oh yah right. I don't get, when all I do is scream at you, you are so nice to me." I said. "I don't know maybe it's just I don't get frustrated easily." He said. "Oh really? Well maybe you weren't there when you screamed at me for wanting to be alone. Wait, yeah you were." I said laughing. "Ok well can we talk about this later, my mom and your mom are gonna wake up any minute." He said starting to walk away. "Ok but are you forgetting something or someone?" I said with a smirk. "No I didn't brin.... oh wait." he said walking back over to me. "No, you don't have to carry me I'll just put my arm around your neck and limp the way back." I said. "Ok but are you sure?" he asked in a concerned way. "Yah I'm fine." I said.

When we got back to the tents, my mom and Michelle were awake. "Where were you guys?" Michelle asked. It was such a long day I didn't know what to say. "We went for 2 walks. We went to the hills for the first walk and a bridge for the second walk." Austin said. He looked at me and I laughed. He smiled back at me but it was a different smile. He never smiles at me like that unless he wants to tell me something but doesn't think he should. I really hope it's not bad.

Austin's P.O.V.

Uh-oh. Allison was just smiling and now she looks confused. I feel like I should have told her. Told her why I'm being so nice to her. I mean I do like her, but it's something else. I have to tell her when to time is right.

"Do you think we can go home today? We didn't sleep well last night." She said. "Yeah it was like sleeping in hell! It's all warm in tents but then we didn't bring air matresses." My mom said. "Yeah sure we ca-" I interrupted Allison. "Can we stay one more night?" I practically screamed. "Woah since when are you an outdoor person?" my mom said. "Since tonight, please just one more night?" I said begging to stay. "Fine, what time is it?" Sue asked. "I'll go check, Austin can you help me get over there?" Allison asked. "Yeah sure, lets go." I said going over to her.

Would it be bad if I told her I liked her? Not that bad right? Wait what am I doing? We have an amazing friendship that not a lot of people have. Or had. After I got famous things changed. It's weird. It's like we never screamed or yelled at eachother before, and now it's like I'm back so we fight. I wish it could go back to the way things were between us.

"Austin!" Allison said. "What?" I said back. "Who were you talking about?" she said. I got confused but I must have been thinking out loud. "Wait from what part?". I asked to make sure she didn't hear everything. "I heard 'I wish I could go back to the way things were between us.' and then I tried to get your attention. But you seemed really into your thought. Who was it about?" she asked.

"Uh my mom. She has been less um worried about me since uhh I signed with um uh Rocco. It's just weird because she always has my back but let's me deal with my own um problems." I said stuttering. That was bad. I got to not think out loud. That was close.

"Oh ok. Now where's the solar clock?" she asked changing the subject. "It's on the dashboard. I'll go get it." I said walking over to the front over the car. I sighed in relief. I'm so glad she changed the subject.

Allison's P.O.V.

Austin's acting weird. He was apparently thinking out loud, but he was deep in thought. Then when I asked who he was talking about, he stuttered and said something about his mom. I wasn't listening because I was thinking, I know he's not telling me something. He will eventually. He was stuttering in his sentences and that was all I heard of the conversation. When he stutters it means he's hiding something. He tells me everything so he will tell me what this while thing is about.

Why did he want to stay another night? Why was he stuttering? What is he not telling me?

These questions kept going through my mind as I was waiting for Austin to check the time.

"It's 1:47. Right now." He said getting out of the car. "Already? how long have we been over here?" I asked wondering how it's already that late. "We've been here for a while we should go back and tell them what time it is." Austin said walking over to me. He grabbed my arms and wrapped them around the back of his neck. he was facing the opposite way as me. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Just jump on, it will be easier to help you this way." he replied. "Ok, but don't drop me or I will fucking kill you!" I said joking around.

I jumped on and we started to walk back to Michelle and my mom.

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Ok I know I haven't updated in a while but, I think this is going pretty well! thanks for reading! ~xoxo Ali Mahone