She Wrote it on a Red Notebook (Part 1/5), an Austin & Ally fiction

I do not own Austin & Ally. This is the sequel to He Wrote it on a Napkin. As usual, remember to review and request!

She massages the roots of her hair with her fingertips. The shower pours down on her as she sings his song to herself. The sound echoes off the shower walls.

It's a good thing her dad is already at the Sonic Boom. Even if she can't see him, her stage fright would kick in.

She opens her eyes. A shampoo sud sneaks down the side of her face. She closes them again.

Nope, she's alone. Nobody else is in this bathroom. She hadn't seen any shadows, or strangers lurking in the shower with her.

Trust her, there would be much screaming involved if that were the case.

And no, it's not because of her stage fright.

"So come now learn the words and sing along," she sings, turning the water off. She rubs the top of her head. There's no suds left, so she sticks her arm out for her towel.

She wraps it around her body. It's a large and fluffy towel. One that encases her like a little cocoon.

Which she finds is a very good thing, because when she walks into her room, Austin is perched on the edge of her bed.

"Oh God! Cover your eyes!" she yells, running into the closet.

"I texted you four times and you didn't answer. I was starting to worry." He peeks through the cracks of his fingers. Nothing.

She bumps into her shoe rack.

"I was in the shower. Now could you turn the light on for me?" Shaving and shampooing was no quick job.

He flicks the switch on. "How about I meet you in the kitchen?"

She nods, then realizes he can't see her.

"I think that'd be a good idea."

(the page breaks here)

When she enters the kitchen, brushing her hair, he has the decency to blush.

"I am so sorry Ally." He stands up to follow her to the cupboard.

"It's fine. You scared me, that's all." She's just glad it wasn't one of those days when she forgot her towel. It's only happened twice. The first time her mom had been then to get her one.

The second time, she had to resort to covering her body with two hand towels, screaming 'Don't look! Don't Look!' to the empty house.

She takes out a box of Raisin Bran and a bowl for herself. "Did you eat yet?"

"I was too worried about you to grab anything." He takes the bowl from her as she grabs a second one.

They each pour a bowl. She covers her with milk and offers him the carton.

He sets it aside, plucking the raisins from his bowl.

"They call it Raisin Bran for a reason."

"I don't like soggy raisins."

She grins at him, and he decides to kiss her.

Because he can.

She notices that he tastes like mint. She's glad, because she thought he'd taste like morning breath.

Oh no. She has morning breath. She pulls away.

"So, um, would you like some juice?"

"I'll get it. Your raisins are getting soggy."

She really needs to find a new breakfast cereal.

(the page breaks here)

He helps her dry her hair. His hands tickle as they pass through the strands. He resists her pleas to use the hairbrush.

He has been waiting far too long for this moment. It's silky smooth, and he's found a spot behind her left ear that makes her giggle when he touches it.

"There's this stubborn spot that doesn't seem to want to dry," he remarks, tracing the arc over and over again.

"Really?" she asks through a fit of giggles.

"Mhm." He blows it dry for another minute until the tip of her ear turns pink.

She watches as he curls the cord up. "You're done?"

He tucks the plug in to keep the cord bundled together.

"All done. Now let's get going before they start to wonder where we are."

"But I didn't curl my hair yet."

"Trying to impress someone?" He makes sure to say it above that ticklish left ear of hers.

She runs her hairbrush through her locks. "Maybe."

He takes the brush from her and finishes the job.

"For the record, he thinks you look perfect, just the way you are."

Ally goes natural today.

(the page breaks here)

When they arrive at the Sonic Boom, they find that Trish and Dez are absent.

They spend the morning not doing anything terribly coupley, just in case they show up. It's a wasted effort, because they don't show up until later that afternoon.

To think, they could have done something besides play Candyland.

That's not to say that he didn't have fun.

"Where have you guys been all day?" he asks when they step into the store at the exact same moment.

"The toy store," they answer in unison.

"You're still working there?" Ally asks. She moves her game piece to the next blue square.

Trish laughs. "Do you know how much fun it is to annoy my co-workers by pressing all of those 'try me' buttons all day?"

She may have grown immune, having a younger brother, but her co-workers have not.

"Then what was Dez doing there?" Austin inquires. He picks up a card and frowns at it.

Dez and Trish's eyes connect for a moment before dashing apart.

"Uh, I'm working on a new film. It's called Attack of the Toys." He scans his hand in front of him, as if laying out the title.

Ally hesitates to believe him. Something is up.

If there is something going on between the two of them, then maybe she and Austin can go public about their relationship without fear of making them third wheels.

But for now, she's not going to speculate. She has her own relationship to worry about.

(the page breaks here)

Trish goes back to work. Dez stays behind to play Candyland, with the provision that he gets to be Snow White. They don't ask why. They just hand him the game piece and let him go first.

His phone buzzes as he's about to win. He checks it.

"Yes!" he exclaims.

"What?" Austin advances his piece.

"Nothing." He picks a card and moves his piece to the finish. "I won! I gotta go now. I need to go, uh- do something."

He leaves the Sonic Boom, not giving them time to ask any questions.

Austin clears the board, placing the pieces back in the box.

"You don't want to play another round?" They're stuck here until her dad comes to relieve her.

"Trish is at work. And Dez is doing, whatever Dez is doing." He glances down at her lips. She catches the hint.

"So you don't find their behavior suspicious at all?"

"I do. But there are other things I'd rather do than think about what they're up to."

She finds it easy to agree with him.

(the page breaks here)

Mr. Dawson lets them go on lunch. He grabs her hand.

They pass We B Toys on their way to Mini's. Trish is on a stool behind the counter.

It's not a shock that she's not working. What is a shock is that she's not goofing around either. There's no teen magazine, or 'try me' buttons. Just her, leaning across the counter to talk to Dez.

Dez, who is not an employee, or a customer, judging by the blank counter space between them. And his camera is nowhere to be found.

She can't hear their conversation. Neither can Austin, who follows her line of vision to see them engrossed in a civil conversation.

There's a look on her face that seems familiar to her, but she can't seem to place it. They can't see Dez's face from where they are now hiding. He turns around, and they duck farther behind the tree.

Austin thinks on his feet and kisses Ally. "What are you doing?"

"Would you rather get caught spying or kissing your boyfriend?" He looks over to the store. He's turned back around.

"You really want to tell them, don't you?"

"I'd shout it from the rooftops." He tugs her closer to his side. "But I'm willing to wait until you are ready."

That, and until he's sure he's stable enough to stand on the roof without falling off. That could be dangerously painful.

"By the looks of things, that may be sooner than we think."

They watch as Dez awkwardly hugs Trish over the counter.

Something is definitely up.

(the page breaks here)

He has to leave early for a dentist appointment. She hugs him goodbye as he promises to come back when he's done.

Once he's gone, she looks for her book. She can't find it. Her mind flashes back to last night.

Right. It's sitting at home, on her bedside table.

All she can find is the red notebook. It holds all of the notes that her father has left for her about the store, and all of her notes back. She has to flip through many pages to find a clean one.

Like peppermint swirls on a candy cane

You're so refreshing, it's insane

I have always wondered how

And even with the answers I have now

I can't explain

It needs a melody, but a customer approaches her. It'll have to wait.

Verse One: complete.