Deal

A/N: I hope you enjoy this story :3 It's going to be pretty short, maybe 4-5 chapters long, but I promise to put my everything into every paragraph.

"Austin, this can't happen again... Just not acceptable... Didn't you study... But I thought you were good at that subject?"

My parents words seemed to echo around inside my head. They'd gotten my report card today, and to say they were dissapointed would be an understatement. But, to be honest, I had no idea why they were so unhappy about it, I mean, considering they want me to be a fucking mattress salesman, I'd say I could probably drop out of school now.

But no.

My dad kept giving me these looks that suggested I failed on purpose or something, and my mom just kept shaking her head at me. So, eventually, I got into my car and drove away. I had no idea where I was going yet, just away.

I knew the reason for my failing of all my term-exams, but one. The whole music industry was taking up so much of my time, but there was no way I'd ever tell my parents that. I'd just almost-made it to the top, and I wasn't going to give them any excuse to stop me, not now.

I knew I probably should've studied more, in hindsight, and spent a little less time with my guitar, but at the time, I wasn't thinking of report cards and my parents, I was thinking of my music.

I realized that I'd driven in a complicated circle about three times now, and so I parked in front of Starbucks and got out. I was done thinking about grades, and school, and just everything.

I knew I was being dramatic, but it felt like no-one understood how important music really was to me.

No-one except...

When I walked into Starbucks, I first saw her through the glass door, at the counter. I smiled a little, and wondered if fate really existed, and then pushed the door open, walking inside.

I stood behind her in the queue, and waited for her to realize I was standing behind her. She ordered her usual - a Hazelnut Frappuccino, and I stood, and waited. When she reached into the back pocket of her jean to get the money she needed, I pulled a five-dollar bill and handed it to the cashier. She gasped at the same time that Ally looked back to see who had just payed for her.

Ally opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off when the cashier gave a small screech. "Ohmygosh, you're Austin Moon!" I grimaced. I wasn't in the mood for the whole can-I-take-a-picture-with-you/can-you-sign-my-arm-or-anything-else-in-sight-that-you-can-write-on. I nodded at her, not wanting to encourage further conversation.

"I love your music! Can you sign..." I waited while she looked around for something I could write on. "this napkin!" She concluded, shoving a wad of paper towels in my face. I nodded, took the pen in her other hand, and wrote my name. She grinned when I was done, and I smiled a little, then grabbed Ally's wrist and walked her out of the building.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me once we were outside.

I sighed, and shook my head. "It's a long story." I told her.

"I've got time." She replied, as I unlocked the door of my car, and we both climbed inside. I started to drive away before I answered, thinking of how to summarize how I was feeling. She took a few sips of her frappuccino while she waited.

"I thought you said you were giving up the frappuccino's?" I teased, smirking as I eyed the cup in her hands.

She shrugged. "It's a bad habit, and I do blame myself for the size of my ass, but I have an addiction and I'm okay with it."

I laughed at that. We drove for a few more minutes in silence, and, like before, we weren't going anywhere in particular but it was little better now that I had Ally with me. The sky was starting to darken, and I knew I should probably go back home or at least turn my phone back on so that my parents could contact me soon. They'd be starting to get worried. It was about two hours since I'd left the house.

"Austin, what's going on? Please tell me. You look so depressed... I don't like it." I sighed, not knowing how to answer.

"I got my report card today." She grimaced.

"Oh." Comprehension washed over her face.

"Yep. One C, five D's, and four F's."

"Ouch."

"Tell me about it."

She bit her lip, seeming to wonder whether or not she should say anything. In the end, she did. "How did your parents take it?" She asked me. My hands tightened a little on the steering wheel, and I looked over at her incredulously.

"Oh," She said again. I nodded.

"I'm thinking of dropping out." I confessed eventually, after another five minutes of silence. I was starting to head back to the area where Ally lived now. Her dad would be wondering where she was, too.

She stared at me, mouth hanging open. "What?" I shrugged.

"I'm failing anyway, there's no point wasting my time with another year of high school if I'm not going to be able to get good grades."

"You can get good grades! You just need to work a little harder-"

"I am!" We both winced as my suddenly loud voice contrasted with the silence, and the whispers. "Sorry," I apologized. "I've just had so many people telling me I need to work harder today."

She shrugged, "No harm done. But, Austin, you can't drop out."

"Why not?"

"Because you need a high-school education. Just because you're going up the ladder of fame doesn't mean you don't need school anymore. Right now, you're the perfect role-model to kids worldwide. Do you want that to change? Do you want other kids deciding to quit school 'cause you are?"

"I can't influence them that much. No one'll care whether I'm in school or not-"

"I will. Dez will. Believe it or not, Trish will. And so will your parents. They're pretty dissapointed in you right now, aren't they?"

I nodded, one stiff jerk of my head, concentrating on the road. "And that makes you feel bad, right?" She asked.

I nodded again.

"So imagine what they'll say if you decide to quit altogether. Please, Austin, don't drop out."

"Give me another reason why I shouldn't." I muttered, turning into the street Ally's house was on.

She sighed, and I could tell she didn't want to say whatever she was about to say. "What's happening to you now - you being a pop-star, I mean - that might not last forever. And if it doesn't, Austin, you're going to need something to fall back on. If you haven't got a diploma, then you're probably going to be forced to sell mattresses like your parents. Do you want that?"

Hell no, I did not want that.

She could see she was getting through to me, and she relaxed a little. "We'll try harder, okay? We'll study for the finals - together. I'll help you, and I promise you all A's and B's." I was parked in front of her house now, and she took the last sip of her cup of coffee while she waited for my reply. I sighed.

"You'll really help me?" She nodded frantically. "I will."

"And you promise I'll get all A's and B's?" She nodded. "Scout's honor." She promised again, smirking.

I chuckled, and rolled my eyes. "You know, since you were never a scout, that promise doesn't mean anything." She groaned and then smacked my arm lightly. "Just let me help you? Pwease?" She pouted then, her beautiful brown eyes growing bigger, her bottom lip jutting out a little, and, I mean, c'mon, how could I say no?

"Fine, fine, I'll study with you." She grinned. "Yay! Okay, you can come over tommorow and we'll start then." I groaned.

"But tommorow's Saturday!"

"Do you want to pass or not?"

"I do, but-"

"No buts!"

I sighed, "If I'm going to do this, I'm going to need some incentive."

She smirked. "I'll think of something, 'kay? Just be at my door at ten O'clock tommorow. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good."

She opened the door then, and climbed out of the car, leaving me feeling better, as I always did after spending time with her.

I also wondered what she had in mind that could possibly motivate me to consistently study without losing interest.

Oh, Austin, if only you knew...

Okay, so, since they're going to be spending a lot of time together, obviously, we gon' see some sexual tension ;)

Thanks for reading.

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In other words, review.