Summer Fest: seasonal sensations Bk1

Chapter 22

"So which one should i pick?" I asked Austin as i showed him the two bralet tops i had narrowed down to. A couple of days had passed ever since that day and Lola hadn't showed up. I think word spread around that i was coming to the festival after john told the team and Lola decided she would finish me then? I wasnt sure though... So to distract myself i dragged Austin around as i shopped for my festival outfits. I had never been to one so after lots of research, mainly watching coachella vlogs on youtube, i had decided choosing my outfits early was a good idea! So with my pinterest board in hand and Austin in tow, i shopped for days straight! This was day three.

"We came here yesterday, saw those same exact tops yesterday, told you to get the purple one yesterday, i mean what more do you want me to say??" He said running his hands down his face in frustration. Shopping was clearly not his cup of tea. For him it was easy. Every outfit he wore was either fully black or had a black piece so anything would match. For me  however its a different story.
"I know and i'm sorry i'm being a pain! Its just that this is the first time people we'll see us together-"
"But they're seeing us right now"
"I meant our schoolmates! You see your used to staying in the spotlight but im not, ok! I have no idea how to act or how to look... I just want a good first impression ok?" I took at the purple one he had suggested yesterday and studied myself in the mirror. It wasnt bad but i had learnt one very important lesson whilst shopping-If you dont like it in the store you wont like it at all! I wanted to get it because Austin liked it though... Huh this is hard!

Austin slowly stood up from the tiny couch provided by the store and snaked his arms around me then rested his chin on my head. "Look, you are amazing! You have nothing to worry about! You do realize that you've been going to the same school with those idiots for almost three years?"
"Yeah i know but the idiots will judge me now that i'm with you!" Feeling defeated, i threw both the tops on the couch and decided that it wasnt worth trying anymore. They WILL judge me no matter what! Seeing my frustration austin turned me to look at him and pulled me closer to him saying,
"Hey! Hey... Look at me" i looked up to see his wonderful brown eyes and i got reminded of the time he first held me close. When i had woken up in his house. How he said he didnt deserve me... I didnt deserve him! "Who cares what they say! What they think! Just know that i love you ok? And you don't need to worry about them... ok?" I nodded and he leaned in to kiss my forehead. Relishing the feeling, i closed my eyes and wrapped my hands round his neck. He trailed kisses down my nose in the softest and sweetest way i swear i could feel my knees buckle. I only regained my balance when he bit my nose making me laugh and push him away. I picked up the tops i had previously thrown on the couch, resumed my place infront of the mirror and asked,

"So which one is it going to be? The purple one or the black one?"

*

"Hey... Hey!" Austin waved his hands in front of my face.
"Oh sorry..."
"Woah you zoned out there... Everything alright?"
"Yeah... i'm just thinking" we were on his bed, my shopping escapade days behind us. There were only two days before the festival and i was starting to panic. Questions were arising in my head that needed to be answered or my paranoid self would go wild! I propped my head up to face and he did the same. Having his dark eyes look directly at me and bore into my soul made me nervous so instead i drew circles on his chest as i built up the courage to ask him...
"Dont tell me you were thinking of what lola is going to do!"
"No... I wasn't... I was thinking of you.."
He held my hand to stop my hand from moving causing me to look directly at him. His smirk... yeah he was definitely shaped by the Gods!
"Austin?" He replied by kissing my hand, his eyes never leaving mine. "Do you really love me?" His smirk dropped at my question but he squeezed my hands lightly to let me know he wasnt mad.
"We've been over this.." he kissed my hands again, "i love you..." He kissed me again, "your everything i ever wanted..." He pushed me down to lie on my back, climbed on top of me, and rested his hands on either side of me to support himself, "i would never give you up.." he lowered down to kiss me and as much as i wanted him to... I needed to know the truth. I stopped him.

"But how Austin?! Its only been two weeks!-"
"For you maybe! But i've wanted you ever since i saw you in the gym when mason... Look for me its been three years! Three long years of wanting to be near you! Of wanting to love you! Of wanting to kiss you! You're gonna deny me that baby?..." He leaned in to kiss me again and i almost let him
"Well what took you so long? I've been single for a long time! You didnt do anything then. Whats so different now?" I started growing frustrated at how he was giving me vague answers and almost pushed him off me but i didnt want to loose him... I felt like if i pushed him, he would go straight to lola...
"I wanted to! I really wanted to be with you back then! After mason punched you i wanted to comfort you, to be with you! So i went the same direction you ran and thought you were in the girls locker room. Instead i found lola... i asked her where you were but she lied that you had already gone home. There was no way you could have run that fast especially with a broken nose so i tried to leave but thats when she told me the rumors... The lies... I was a new kid then, i had nothing to loose being with you but... She threatened me saying my nose would be the next one being broken.."

"I knew i heard someone running after me... I thought it was kiiara.."
"I did care about you! I was just stupid enough to believe her empty threats!"
"No Austin! You're not stupid! Her threats are definitely not empty!" I tried to comfort him.
"I know that. In fact i knew a lot sooner after that..."
"Why what happened?
"She... Something happened at a party that tied me to her... I should have never trusted her! I should have never let her into my life! I should have never gone to that party..." I saw his eyes start to glisten and i felt his heart beat quicken. That memory must not be a good one. Then again if it consists of lola can it ever be good?
"Hey! Austin!" I held his face in my hands to stroke the bad memory away. His broken eyes looked at me with a sad expression and i almost wanted to kill lola! How could she do this to him? To anyone?? "You dont have to tell me if you're not ready... Just forget.."
"Thats the thing Tracy... I cant forget!" The last word was shaky and his eyes were brimming with tears so he hid his face in my neck and held me close. I felt wet tears drip down and i mentally cringed as i thought of all the things lola could have done to make him cry! What in the worl-

"You know what i hated the most?" Austin said as he tried to break the defeaning silence.
"What baby?"
"I hated it when the guys on the team took an interest in you!" I could only laugh at that! Ofcourse he would! "They knew i couldnt have you and yet they would still want you! Talk about you! It was annoying as fuck!"
"But john told me you threatened them to stay away from me. Is it true?"
"I used to in the beginning but once they found out what tracy did to me... They kept off"
"Austin... What's so different now? Why risk it now? Wouldn't she do what she did to you again?" Asutin let out at a deep breath and said,
"You see even though lola kept on threatening me to never speak to you after she... I still wanted you! In fact my love for you grew everyday! Lola noticed this and so she started convincing me that it was better for my social life if i didnt associate with you... After a while of her nagging voice in my ear i started to believe her! You then became untouchable... Like some forbiden fruit, so attracting yet so dangerous! I was growing more and more obsessed with you recently that i stopped to wonder what really would happen to me if you were my girlfriend. Besides it was going to be our last year right? Who cares what happens? When lola suggested we shouldnt go for the teens camp in malibu this year, i agreed! I was planning on staying with you anyways! I just didnt know she was upto something"
"You mean when she was walking by my house that night?" I ask recalling the night that changed my whole summer.
"Yeah then! I was just walking to see how far your house was from mine, the stars were really beautiful there btw! But seeing her there made me feel like something was up!" I held him closer as he practically spilled his guts to me. Enjoying the feeling of him trusting me and also thanking him for opening up. He snuggled closer to me and started rubbing circles down my neck

What made him so broken? What did lola want from him? Why is she so persistent? But most of all ...

Why am i the target?