Opened Skies ~ An Auslly Fanfic

Chapter 25

I pick up Austin's phone.

"C'mon, rockstar. Ready to get famous-er?" He smiles at me. Not a big smile, in fact, it's almost invisible. But it's there, and that's how I know I've won him over.

"Well if you insist..." he teases.

The speaker is on, and the dial tone fills the brightly colored room for a long time. Even my cousins can hear it, from their rooms, and they stand by the door to listen. I wave them over to the bed, and they both sit down on the floor in front of Austin and I. We're in a sort of a circle, with the phone in Austin's lap.

"Hello?" I catch my breath. The voice definitely sounds like it could belong to a Trish in L.A. Except it's groggy, like she's just woken up.

"Hello, Trish?"

"That's me. And if anyone asks, I was definitely not asleep on the job. Who is this?"

"Austin Moon." The name hangs in the air for a moment. I can't tell if Trish recognizes the name or not. She's silent for so long I'm almost certain she doesn't.

"You're the one with the music video. Aren't you? I got an email from Avery Kirscht-"

"Yeah," Austin accidentally cuts her off. "That's me."

"Huh. Most people Avery refers me to call back in less than a day. Then again, most of them didn't have everything it takes to be a somebody, so maybe you're a lucky one." I take Austin's hand and give it a light squeeze, and glance over at Sabrina and Dez. They're both staring at the phone as if their waiting for it to explode. Identical expressions that almost make me want to laugh. Luckily, Trish continues before I can.

"That Dez guy worked a few things out with me via phone. I'd like to meet you in person, but unless you come to Californa, I'm not sure if that'd work."

Austin looks to me and almost-but-not-quite too late, I realize he's asking me a question. Instead of answering, I smile up at him. And he bites his bottom lip for a second, but only a second, because then he's made up his mind.

"Actually," Austin begins, "I may be able to set something up."

It's sort of a blur to me; listening as Austin sets up an appointment, all the way across the country. "September fourteenth." Austin looks down at Dez and Sabrina, and then at me. "We'll be there."

I'm wide-eyed (and wide-mouthed), but I'm grinning. As soon as the line goes dead, Sabrina and I begin shrieking. I think Dez might be screaming, too, but it's hard to tell with him. Austin sits with his back against the wall, and hands on his temples. He's grinning too, though. The silent celebrator he is.

~

A long time later, when it's dark enough to see the stars, Austin and I sit outside on my front porch. He hums as his fingers trace tiny circles on the back of my hand. And I'm beaming, because in all the time I've known him, I've never seen him so happy. We don't speak, but I don't feel like we have to.

Behind me, I hear the front door open, and then Raleigh sits down, a few feet away. "Let me know what the sky looks like in California," she murmurs, staring straight above. If she were anyone else, these words wouldn't have worried me. But Raleigh doesn't do sentimentality.

"Raleigh?" It's all I need to say, and then she opens her mouth.

"Something's wrong with Eli again. Like, the hospital kind of wrong." I tense up, and when Austin notices, his arm goes around my shoulders.

"What do you mean? Did he...was it like last time?" My sister nods, her brow crinkling in the kind of anxiety I haven't seen on her for years.

"Mom called me. Kinda weird, I thought, usually she calls you first." I taste a bitterness in my mouth.