My favorite thing is looking at my Traffic Graph and seeing all the places you guys are from. I can't believe I actually have people in places like Nigeria and Vietnam reading this story. I live in New York and I honestly can't believe I get to reach you guys. I love hearing where you're from and how you managed to even find this little story written by a girl in Brooklyn. It means the world to me.

Oh and no big deal but goosepancake AKA flowerrrs25 AKA one of the most fantastic authors on this site favorited my story. I might be freaking out just a little. But all fangirling aside, you should seriously check her out if you haven't already. ANd if you have, well, check her out again. She's awesome.

Disclaiming: I am disclaiming the characters. I am claiming the story.

I love beginnings.

Beginnings were always the best part of the experience. They were easy and new and I always broke off the relationship before it got to the middle. The middle would only just screw up the absolutely perfect beginning. While the beginnings were carefree, the middle was stressful. I always ran away from the middles and skipped straight to the end.

It was quick. It was easy. And it was safe.

But with Ally it was different. With Ally I was enjoying the beginning, dreading the end and, well, the middle had the best parts to come.

I hummed under my breath as I walked down the street. I smiled with every step I took as my mind kept flashing back to the night before.

Ally had very firmly and stubbornly declared a do-over. She declared that the entire week we previously "dated" had never happened and we were starting over on a fresh, clean slate.

It was an idea I was all for until she also declared that there would be no "kissy squishy stuff" until after the first date.

Our first date was yesterday, or, properly called, our third first date.

The original plan was lunch and then a movie. Ally said this was symbolic because our first first date was a movie then a lunch and because that one didn't go so well, the opposite was bound to.

We met at a diner on the beach where a blonde waitress- who I had not previously dated- sat us in a booth by the window with lilacs sitting in a vase on top of the table.

We talked about school and music while we waited for our food to get to us. We talked about movies as we took sips from our complementary coffee. When our food came we talked- through mouthfuls of bread and pasta- about the beach and books and our families and that weird scar Ally has under her chin that she swears she doesn't remember getting. We talked through cup after cup of complementary coffee, even after our plates were scraped clean and moved to the side.

Ally and I sat at the booth by the window with the lilacs in the vase until it started to rain. We drew pictures in the foggy glass and raced raindrops down the window.

We had missed our movie a long time ago and Ally kept apologizing but I couldn't care less. Because I didn't even remember what movie we were supposed to see. All I remembered was coffee and lilacs and the rain and the stunningly beautiful Ally.

I drove her home after we ate. The drizzle had turned into a downpour and Ally and I huddled under my jacket as we ran up the steps to her house. We tumbled into her house, a fit of giggles filling the empty room. I looked at Ally with a big stupid smile on my face. Her hair was damp and her nose was red but the only thing I saw was that big stupid smile that was spread across her face too.

We sat on her couch and watched television reruns as we waited for the rain to light up. I put my arm around her and pressed her firmly against my side. I held her close to me even when we both started to sweat and my arm started to fall asleep. I held her close and rested my cheek against her hair. She smelled like the rain and laundry detergent and the blueberry cupcake she bought for lunch.

She smelled like everything nice and everything warm, so I held her close and breathed her in.

It was nearly 11 at night before I finally dragged myself off the couch and to the front door. Ally walked me out and before I got in my car, she stood on her tip toes and kissed my shyly on the cheek.

I grinned the whole way home and even though this day hadn't turned out as we planned, it was still the best date of my life.

The stupid grin was still on my face in the morning as I left my house. My sneakers hit the damp sidewalk as I walked quickly from the coffee shop to where my car was parked across the street. I balanced the two coffee cups on top of each other and put the paper bag carrying two bagels between my teeth as I fished in my pocket for my keys. I juggled the items in my hands as I carefully slid into my car.

I dropped the bag in the car as I put the coffees in the cup holders. I grinned proudly at myself. "All in on piece," I cheered. "Now where did I put those-"

I soft squish could be heard from beneath my foot. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for the damage to be minimal. I opened one eye and glanced down at the brown paper bag, crumpled under my shoe.

"Oh man," I whined, bending down to pick up the bag. But apparently my six foot frame didn't do so well in a small car because my elbow went on to knock over every substance on the way down.

I froze, hearing the sloshing of a coffee cup getting knocked over.

"Oh for the love of-"

"Surprise!"

"Jeez!" Ally jumped, the contents of her bag spilling down her porch. She looked at me with wide eyes and a hand clutching her chest. "Austin. What. The. Hell."

I winced. "Oops, probably should've gone for a quieter hello."

"Ya think?"

I grinned, walking through her front yard. "I got you coffee and a bagel," I said proudly.

She looked up at me from where she crouched, picking up her books. "What for?" she laughed, coming down the steps to join me.

I shrugged. "Just because."

She took the cup and bag from my hand gratefully. "Well thank you very much." She quickly kissed my cheek. "And good morning to you too."

Ally began to walk past me but I caught her arm in my hand before she could go. I pulled her back to where she stood, a goofy smile on my face and my hand moving to wrap fully around her waist. She blinked up at me with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Okay, so maybe I did have some ulterior motives," I admitted with and exaggerated sigh. I pulled her closer to me, wrapping both arms around her.

Ally's smirk only widened. "I knew it."

Her arms lifted up to my neck and she tilted her head towards me. I smiled before moving my head forward and pressing my lips on hers. My hands moved up and down her back and I felt her smile against my lips. Just as I was about to deepen the kiss she pulled away. I frowned, my eyes still partly closed.

"We're going to be late," she said with a raspy voice.

I groaned. "I really don't care."

I leaned in to kiss her again but before I could, she detached herself from my arms and walked past me.

"Oh come on," I groaned, watching as she turned her head to look at me. She sent me a wink and continued walking ahead as if it never happened.

I shook my head, running to catch up with her. "You'll be the death of me, you know?"

She laughed. "Always so dramatic," she said taking a bite of her bagel. She looked down at my empty hands. "You didn't get yourself any?"

"I did. But there was an...incident."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Here," she offered, ripping the bagel in half.

I took it graciously. "Thank you, madame," I said, bowing my head at her. I ran ahead to open my car door for her.

Ally curtseyed slightly before going in. "And thank you, kind sir."

I laughed, jogging around to the other side. "You ready for this?" I asked once I was inside.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "what do you mean?"

"Well, after what happened last week, people are going to start talking when we walk in school holding hands." I chuckled, keeping my eyes on the road.

"Oh yeah," I heard Ally say quietly from beside me. "I didn't even think about that."

I laughed. "We are going to be what everyone talks about. Everyone is going to think that I've gone crazy. Dallas and his friends are for sure going to hate me and try to make my life a living hell."

"Hell?" Ally whispered.

"Yeah. It's going to be a tough time until graduation." I said letting out a low whistle.

"But graduation's a year and a half away," Ally exclaimed.

I laughed. "Yeah. A year and a half of torture," I joked. "Who knows if I'll even make it to graduation, right?"

"Right." Ally laughed weakly, her face contorting to a anxious frown.

"We're at the school," I announced. "I just have to find a spot."

Ally bit her lip, nervously toying with the finished coffee cup in her hands.

"I see Dallas and the football guys," I said, pointing to a spot in the parking lot.

"Oh God," Ally groaned, ducking down under the glove compartment.

"What are you doing?" I said with a laugh, peering down at her.

"I just dropped something," she replied, her voice coming out muffled. "Are we there yet?"

I nodded, "Yup, pulling into a spot now."

Ally poked her head up, looking out the window. She wearily undid her seatbelt and picked up her book bag while simultaneously looking out the windows of my car.

"Are you okay?" I asked, putting a hand on her arm.

I felt her relax at my touch and I smiled at her. She smiled back, nodding her head.

"Okay," I said, turning to grab my bag from the backseat. "I was thinking that after school we could go to-hey! Where are you going?"

I stepped out of the car, noticing that Ally was already running towards the doors of the school. She slung her bag over her shoulders and entered the school without ever looking back.

I frowned, hunching my shoulders. "I didn't even get a good-bye kiss," I mumbled, grouchily slamming the door of my car closed.

"Hey!" I shouted, stomping down the hallway. My eyes narrowed at the head of blondish brown hair. Ally whirled around to face me, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"I've been looking for you all day? Where have you been?" I demanded once I reached her, my voice echoing down the empty hall. "You're avoiding me. Why?"

Ally bit her lip, nervously turning back to her locker. "Are you really going to do this now?"

"Well, I wanted it to do it doing lunch but since you decided not to show up, yeah, I want to do this now." I crossed my arms, doing my best to appear angry but mostly I was just confused and also really hungry. I had spent the first half of lunch waiting for Ally to show up and when she didn't, I left to find her.

"What's going on?" I asked, softer this time. My hands reached up to grip her arms. My thumb rubbed circles against her shoulders and I felt Ally sigh beneath me.

"I'm sorry," she began, closing her locker and readjusting the strap on her book bag. "I just-"

We heard footsteps and a few giggles from the people just about to turn the corner. I looked over at Ally, who suddenly froze in shock.

"Come here," Ally said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into a nearby bathroom, which happened to be the women's room.

"Ally, I don't think I'm allowed in here," I said once we ran in and Ally locked the door behind her. I raised my eyes at her, "okay, Ally, you know I love you but I don't really consider the smelly bathroom a romantic place."

Ally rolled her eyes, "as if that ever stopped you before."

I chuckled, wiping away a tear at my own joke. "Yeah, I've done it in here tons of times," I said. "To be exact, I've don't it here, there, over there, a few times in there."

I stopped when my eyes landed on Ally, who stood in the center of the room, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She cocked her head at me, daring me to continue.

I gulped, my eyes growing wide. "You know, something tells me I should stop."

"I think you should listen."

"Okay."

"As I was saying," Ally continued. "I just think that we shouldn't go public yet."

"What? Why?"

"It's just," Ally groaned, "you're reputation and your status."

"Ally," I said, walking up to her and placing my arms around her. "I told you I don't care about all that stuff."

She detached herself from me. "Yeah, but I do," she exclaimed. "I care about you and I don't want you to have a miserable life because of me."

"I'm never miserable with you," I tried explaining to her.

"I don't want you to have to give up anything to be with me. Your friends, your team, I want you to have all if that," Ally said. "You have a great life and I don't want you to have to risk it all just for me."

"Listen to me very carefully," I said, grabbing her shoulders, "my choices are mine. I am choosing to let go of my reputation but it's not for you. I hated the person that I was and because of you, I have a chance to be actually happy"

Ally bit her lip, still unsure.

"It's not such a big loss anyway," I said, trying to relieve her of her doubts. "Most of my friends were idiots and jackasses."

Ally finally laughed. "I'm sorry," she groaned, rubbing her hands down her face. "I don't know why I freaked out."

"It's okay," I said assuredly, "I'm your boyfriend now. I live to console you when you go crazy."

The deafening sound of the school bell, snapped both of our attention. Not long after, the sound of footsteps and growing voices could be heard through the bathroom door as students filled the hallways.

"So, what do we do now?" Ally asked quietly, the sound of the bustling students fading to the background.

I beamed at her. "Now, I walk you to class."

Her eyes widened before the corner of her lips turned upwards. "Are you sure about this?"

I grabbed her hand, squeezing lightly. "Positive."

Ally squared up her shoulders, taking in a deep breath as she watched me turn the lock on the door. I paused before pushing the door open, listening as the sound got louder.

The talk and shouts of the students walking to their next class surrounded me. I looked down at Ally who seemed like she wanted to shrink back to the quiet space of the bathroom. I squeezed her hand in reassurance, guiding her through the tremendous crowd. It wasn't long before a few students noticed us and the fact that our hands were clasped tightly together. The random conversations turned into hushed whispers as more and more people took notice.

Ally squirmed under the eyes of our peers but I never faltered. I kept my eyes straight ahead, doing my best to ignore the gawking people around us. Every once in a while, I squeezed her hand as a silent reminder that I was still here.

When we reached her classroom, I finally let go of her hand.

"That wasn't so hard now was it," I joked.

Ally gulped, looking down at the ground. "That was the most uncomfortable I've ever been in my life."

"Well," I shrugged. "You're going to have to get used to it because I am walking you to class for the rest of our relationship. And knowing us, our relationship will probably last a while"

Ally grinned up at me. "You're pretty amazing," she said shyly.

I smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I love you," I whispered against her skin before turning and walking through the mass of gaping students.

"Nope. You are completely wrong."

"What?" I gasped. "How am I wrong?"

Ally looked up at me, her hold on my hand tightening. "Because you just are."

I rolled my eyes, swinging our hands back and forth as I led us out the doors of the school. "Well, that's a great reason." My tone dripped with sarcasm.

Ally shook her head. "Austin, I'm sorry but if you don't change your mind about this, we can no longer be together."

"Seriously," I asked, wide-eyed. Ally only blinked at me, not a hint of a smile on her face. "You're seriously going to break up with me just because I said Dumbledore's death was a good thing."

"Yes."

"...really?"

"Yes, you do not mess with Dumbledore, Austin"

"Okay maybe his death wasn't a good thing," I relented, "but don't you think it had to happen sometime. I mean, the dude was a thousand years old."

"He was actually 115 years old."

"The fact that you know that freaks me out and turns me on at the same time."

Ally laughed, bumping her shoulder with mine. "Just admit your wrong, Moon."

"Never," I declared loudly. "Dumbledore was a cool guy and all but he just stopped being an important character by the time he died, so he had to go."

Ally stopped walking, her eyes narrowed. "Austin," she said, her voice dangerously low. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is the greatest wizard that has ever lived. He is the only wizard Voldemort was afraid of. He planned his own death. He received awards and medals for his spell casting. He discovered all twelve uses for dragon blood and he also has the most badass beard in the world, so don't you dare say he stopped being important."

By the time she finished talking, I had managed to shrink down to half my normal height. Ally was a small, weak, and innocent girl but at that moment I was 100% sure this five-foot-four girl could break me in two. I gulped, putting my arm around her carefully.

"Okay," I agreed with a slight tremor to my voice. "Dumbledore is an awesome dude and he should've lived forever."

"Thank you," Ally said, automatically returning to her normal, cheerful self. "You scared me for a second there, Austin. Next thing you know, you would've have said Dobby's death was good too."

I frowned. "Well-"

"Don't," Ally warned, putting a finger to my lips to stop me. "Just don't."

"Okay fine," I said. "I'm hungry anyway. You want to get some pancakes?"

Ally furrowed her eyebrows. "It's the afternoon."

"Yeah so," I said, completely unfazed.

She sighed. "Fine. We'll get pancakes."

I grinned, pulling her closer to me before placing a kiss on her temple. I felt her laugh under me and I smiled, peppering her entire face with light kisses.

"Well, don't you two make a nice couple," a shrewd voice commented.

Ally and I both stopped, turning our heads to Dallas, who was making his way towards us. Ally groaned and my hold on her shoulder tightened. I pressed her closer to me and I felt Ally's hand move to grip my shirt.

"What do you want?" I spat.

Dallas shrugged, that smug smile stretching even wider across his face. Words cannot explain how much I wanted to smack that smile off his face. "I don't understand a few things," he said calmly.

"You don't understand a lot of things," Ally muttered.

I snorted, putting a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter.

Dallas only glared at us. "I wanted to see what's the thing that's got Austin so hooked," he said, his eyes roaming the entirety of Ally's body.

I stood in front of her, pushing her back with me arm. "Back off, Dallas," I warned.

He ignored me. "I, personally, don't get it. I mean, you've got a nice body and all but I just don't think I can handle that yapping mouth."

"Excuse me?" Ally said, her anger flaring up. I kept her behind me with me arm.

Dallas smirked. "Oh, I get it," he said, looking between us. "You've put a muzzle on her."

This time it was Ally who held me back, her hands gripping my forearm.

"We're leaving," I said, teeth clenched.

"What? You're walking away from a fight." He was egging me on and we both knew it.

I shook my head. "I'm not going to fight you Dallas. You're not worth it."

"You've changed," Dallas growled, pointing a menacing finger at me.

I laughed, using my index finger to harshly push his away. "No," I shook my head, looking down at Ally. "I'm the same person I've always been. I've just stopped caring what you think of me."

Ally smiled, her hand slipping into mine.

"You are ruining yourself," Dallas shouted, his face turning red. "You know what? You are nothing without me anyway. I made you into the person you are and I can break it in a second. You think you're so great? You think you're so popular? I think you're a pathetic waste of space."

"Do you want to know what the best part is?" I grinned, leaning closer to his face to whisper. "I don't care."

I turned around briskly, pulling Ally with me. She yelped in surprise, running to keep up with me. I got in the car and slammed the door shut. My head immediately slammed into the steering wheel as I released a loud and aggravated groan.

"Are you okay?" Ally asked once I sat upright again.

"Yeah," I sighed. "It's just that really put a damper on our pancake date."

Ally slouched in her seat. "Yeah," she agreed morosely.

"Yeah," I chorused, slouching in my seat as well.

A beat passed before Ally turned to look at me.

"So...waffles then?"

The word Dumbledore didn't have a red squiggly line under it like I thought it would. I think spell check is trying to tell me something.

TA DA! WHOO HOO! This is the final chapter of this little story. All I got left to do is the epilogue which I have already started writing and I am planning on it to be around 15,000 words. Yup, it's a biggie.

The epilogue is long because I want to wrap up this story in a nice neat little bow for you guys. I have already been getting requests to do a sequel and...well, I really don't want to do that. Just because I don't know what would happen exactly. I think Austin and Ally have been through enough and they really don't need to go through a sequel. The epilogue should tie up all loose ends and answer all questions. Hopefully.

Welp, I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It was fun and I loved every grueling and stressing part of it. Thank you for all the support and love. I really appreciate it and I send it all back to you.

xoxo