Last time on Enemies with Benefits

"I-I got accepted into MUNY." She told them.

The table erupted in cheers. "That's amazing Ally!"

"Ally your dreams are coming true!"

"That's not everything." She told them, and they quieted down. "Umm, apparently they've been interested in me for a while. And they sent a talent scout to the last football game where we were cheerleading. They've told me that I've got a full scholarship. And that I've been accepted into their protégée program."

"Ally, that's incredible. Why do you look so worried? I thought this was your dream." Austin said with concern.

"It is. But… The program is only for students who can graduate early. It starts in December. If I take the place, I have to leave in a week."

And the group was silent.

"I'm going to go." Ally told the group, praying that her friends would take it well.

"B-but Ally. You can't go? What about graduation? Prom? Cheerleading? The winter dance? You're going to miss everything." Trish told her, tears building up in her eyes at the thought of her best friend leaving.

"I know; I'm going to miss a lot. But I'll be back for graduation; they've already told me that I'll be valedictorian. And as for cheerleading, Trish you'll be captain now. I may not be here for prom but it's not the end of the world. I'll keep in touch, and besides, I'll be here all summer." Ally told them seriously.

Austin felt nauseous, she was leaving? Now? He was supposed to win her over. They were supposed to be together. She was supposed to fall in love with him before they all left to go to college. They could have gone together to MUNY in the fall and everything would have been perfect. So what was going to happen now? Sure, he could still win her over when she came back in the summer before leaving again for MUNY in the fall, but it wouldn't be the same. Ally would be surrounded by college guys. Horny college guys who would think she was beautiful. And maybe she would fall in love. All those guys at MUNY would share her passion, and if she fell for one of them before he had the chance, Austin would have no chance. This was a disaster.

However, everyone else seemed to be agreeing with Ally. Dallas seemed to be saying that he was happy for her and wanted her to follow her dreams. Cassidy told her that she'd miss her but knew that they would all stay friends, with everyone else going along with it. Were they all delusional? Nothing would be the same. How could their last six months of high school ever be the same without Ally? He knew, on some level, that they were all just trying to support her decision but Austin couldn't help but be angry at them for it. And her.

Why would she do this to him? They had only just started being friends again. What if this time apart caused their friendship to deteriorate? He knew that he shouldn't be so negative and should support her, but she was leaving him. Something that he never thought she would do.

Austin stood up from the table. He couldn't trust himself to speak; knowing him he'd ruin their already fragile friendship and make things worse. "Congratulations Ally." He forced out, before walking out of the cafeteria and going home. He knew he shouldn't cut class but he'd been good for months, he deserved to have some time off.

Austin and Ally didn't speak for the next week. It wasn't due to lack of trying on Ally's part though. Austin avoided her like the plague; he switched seats with other people in all their classes so that they wouldn't have to sit near each other. He ignored all of her texts and calls. He even went as far as avoiding Trish and Cassidy so that they wouldn't try and get him to talk to her. He figured that if he could get through this week without her, the next six months would become easier.

The day before Ally was set to leave for New York, Austin was sat in the bleachers after football practice thinking. Ally couldn't stop looking over at him during her last cheer practice. The last cheer practice had been emotional to say the least, many of the girls were crying but all understood why she had to go. Everyone understood. Everyone but him.

After cheer practice, Ally decided to confront him one last time. This might be her last chance. She was leaving for the airport at nine the next morning. Her parents had already left the day before, taking the bulk of her luggage with them. She quietly walked up the bleachers to where Austin sat in silence. He didn't seem to know she was there.

"Austin, talk to me." Ally said softly as she sat down next to him.

"There's nothing to talk about." He told her stiffly, crossing his arms in the process.

"There's everything to talk about. I'm leaving tomorrow, I might not get to talk to you again."

"And whose fault is that?" He asked her coldly, turning his head round to look at her.

"Austin please, you know I can't say no to this. This is my dream. I'd really like your support, you're my friend and I need you." She told him.

"Fine Ally, go. I don't need you here, I haven't needed you for the past four years and I don't need you now. In fact, I don't want you around so maybe it's for the best that you're leaving. I mean, the only reason I started hanging out with out again was because we were making out, but now I have no use for you. Go to MUNY." Austin told her with no emotion in his voice. Ally felt as if he had slapped her across the face. Had this all been an act? Had their newfound friendship been some kind of sick joke?

Ally stood up shakily and Austin began to realise what he had said after he saw a tear fall down her face. "Ally wait!" He called after her as she walked off but she ignored him. He watched as she climbed into her car and drove off. Austin ran to his car and started to drive to her house. This was not going to have been the last conversation they had until June.

As he pulled up to her house he watched as she walked up the steps to the front door. Austin quickly jumped out of the car and sprinted after her. "Ally, wait." He called after her.

Ally stilled for a second before carrying on and opening the front door. Austin managed to hold the front door as she tried to shut it. "Please Ally." He stated. "I didn't mean that, I'm sorry."

"Austin, I've had enough of your crap ok? Can you just go? I need to finish packing." She told him sternly before scurrying up her stairs. Austin followed after her, determined to talk to her.

"ALLY, I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" Austin called after Ally and she slowly turned round to face him in shock, her face motionless. "I've been in love with you since I was fourteen. I love you're smile, how you shuffle you're feet when you're nervous, how you're never afraid to defend yourself anymore, how cute and innocent you still are even after you changed your style and attitude. Ally, I love you."

That's when she did something surprising. Something even she couldn't have even predicted: she walked back down the stairs and slapped him hard round the face.

"BLOODY HELL ALLY! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT FOR?" He shouted at me, while clenching his cheek.

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU!" Ally yelled at him.

"HOW DARE I WHAT ALLY?!" He snarled in response.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME TO TRY AND GET ME TO STAY HERE IN MIAMI THE DAY BEFORE I'M LEAVING!" She screamed at him.

"WHEN ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU? WHEN YOU WERE IN NEW YORK? WELL I'M SORRY THAT THE WORLD DOESN'T REVOLVE AROUND MISS ALLY DAWSON, THE PERFECT EFFING PRINCESS!" He yelled, throwing his arms up in the air.

"YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY THAT YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH ME AT ALL BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRUE! YOU'RE NOT IN LOVE WITH ME AND I NEVER THOUGHT THAT EVEN YOU COULD LIE LIKE THAT JUST SO THAT I WOULD STAY BACK HERE!"

"BUT I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU? I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU! WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?" He asked her.

"BECAUSE IT'S A LIE YOU MORON! HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN LOVE WITH ME, WHEN YOU COULD HURT ME AND BULLY ME FOR THREE YEARS STRAIGHT!"

"I'M SORRY OK!" Austin then seemed to calm down. "I wish that I didn't bully you when we were fourteen. I was an idiot to throw away more than ten years of friendship just to be popular. But I was fourteen and all I wanted was to be popular. And the only way to do that was to bully you. I was stupid and idiotic; I should never have traded our friendship for popularity. I will regret that mistake for the rest of my life."

The lump in Ally's throat grew larger as she willed herself not to cry. "I just, I thought that I meant more to you than being popular. And when you bullied me, it wasn't the bullying that hurt the most. It was the fact that you were the one doing it."

Austin stepped towards me but she pushed him away roughly. "Don't touch me." She said as all the thought and feelings that she felt when she was fourteen reeled into her head.

"Ally-" He said softly before she cut him off.

"Don't." Ally wiped off the tears from her face. "You can't lie to me. I won't let you hurt me again."

"I won't hurt you again. I promise Ally. I love you."

"STOP SAYING THAT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ME!" I yelled loudly at him.

"Why? Why should I stop saying it Ally? I love you. And I will never stop loving you! Every time my heart beats it hurts, it actually hurts."

"Wow, nice line Austin." She said sarcastically. "How many girls have you used that one on?"

"It isn't a line!" He yelled frustrated. "Why do you refuse to believe me?"

"Maybe it's because you tormented me for years after everything that we've been through. Or maybe it's the fact that you've never shown any interest in me in the past unless it was for kissing. Or maybe it's because for the past three years you've constantly had your tongue stuck down someone's throat!"

"I'm sorry, I really am ok! I'm disgusted with myself forever hurting you. You were my favourite person in the whole world. You still are, but all I could think about was me and I was an idiot. All those girls, they meant nothing to me! And don't you dare say that that's just a bloody line because it's true! They really did mean nothing! I used them to fill my own personal heartache about you! But I only realised it a few month's ago! Those years of being simply popular, I was miserable. Miserable. I didn't have my best friend in the world because I was stupid enough to lose her!"

"Oh you were miserable! Poor Austin Moon, miserable for three whole years because he'd lost his best friend, even though he was popular and liked by practically everyone else. Meanwhile said best friend was at the bottom of the social food chain. Thrown about, pushed, kicked and thrown eggs at, and at the same time it was her best friend who caused these things to happen! But nooo it was Austin Moon who was miserable because he felt bad about bullying his best friend!" Ally screamed at him.

"I know that I hurt you and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Ally. Hurting you was the biggest mistake I ever made. I wish I could go back to freshman year and say no to being popular so that I could still be your friend! But I didn't and I will never stop regretting it."

Austin took a step towards her and reached out to touch her cheek but before he could she ran up the stairs and into her room. He quickly followed up after her.

"How could you Austin?" She asked quietly, eyes watering as she watched him enter the room. "How was it so easy for you to throw away our friendship after so long? For the whole of the first year after school I would just lie there and cry in my room. I was broken. You broke me." A tear fell down Ally's face.

"I thought I could have it all; I thought that I could hurt you to be popular at school but still be your friend outside of it. I should have known that it wouldn't have worked out that way and that I would end up losing you but I was a selfish idiot. I really would take it back if I could. I'm so sorry Ally. You have to believe me. I regret everything that I did so much. I was an asshole. But I do love you." He said sitting down next to her and wiping the tear off of her face.

"And I'm sorry that I can't believe you."

"Why can't you?" He asked her desperately.

"Because I know what love is. Love is when you would do anything for a person. You would never hurt them in any possible way. And you didn't Austin. You didn't do anything for me. And you hurt me so badly. I thought that it was my fault for so long - that I had done something to make you hate me. Sometimes I still wonder. Austin, what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing. You did nothing. I- I was stupid. Back then, my biggest dream was to be in High School and have everyone know my name. Have every single person like me and have girls fawning after me. And then there was you Ally. I loved you, but I was angry at you too. You were so shy and you didn't like it when I made other friends. And then I was told that my dream would never come true if I was friends with you. I just snapped, and took everything out on you. I did love you. You're so good Ally, and so kind. I did love you back then, and I still do now. Before I started bullying you I was so naive. I thought that by being mean to you I would get everything that I desired. I just forgot the fact that to get what I wanted I had to lose the one thing that made me happy. And when I started bulling you it was like someone was squeezing my heart so that I couldn't breathe. It hurt so badly to see you in pain. Your pain caused me pain. But once I started I couldn't stop. Don't ask why. I probably thought that if I stopped I would have lost everything. I lost you the moment I started. If I stopped I would have lost you and my popularity. I wish now that I had stopped. But I didn't, and it kills me everyday to even think about what I did." He ended his speech and more tears rolled down her face.

"I-I forgive you. What you did was awful, and even after all that you've told me I'll never understand why you would ever do that to me but I do forgive you. I can't keep hanging onto this anger, it's not healthy. But I still can't believe that you love me." She told him quietly.

"Why?" He asked

"Because you're you!" Ally stood up yelling again. "You're a player. You kiss someone every chance you get, and I happen to be the person you've targeted for these past months. These past four months all we've been doing is kissing and before that all we did was fight! Where, Casanova did you have this epiphany that you're in love with me? Because if it was in the past four months you're not in love with me. You're in love with how good of a kisser I am!" She yelled.

"That's what you think?" He asked exasperated, standing up also. "You think that I can't be in love with you because all we've done for the past couple of months is kiss? I KNOW THAT I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU! If I was in love with you just because you were a good kisser then I would have said that I was in love with about one hundred other girls!"

"Oh screw you Austin!"

"No Ally because you don't understand and until you listen to me you never will! I am in love with a girl named Allison Marie Dawson. I have been in love with her since I can't remember but I didn't realise it until the night we spent talking for hours in my bedroom. That night I realised that she was still the cute innocent girl who I used to be best friends with. She was the same girl with the same hopes and dreams. The only thing that changed was her hair and her clothes. But I made some huge mistakes with her that I couldn't take back, and I wish that they never happened. I will never rest until she knows just how much I love her and I am going to try everything in my power to help her realise that she loves me too. Ally, you're the sun to my moon."

A tear slowly slid down my face. He remembered. "I hate you Austin."

"What?" He asked in disbelief, looking heartbroken.

"I hate that you bullied me after over ten years of friendship. I hate that you were and still are the biggest player in school. I hate the fact that you seemingly changed overnight after middle school. I hate that you thought being popular was more important than our friendship. But most of all I hate that after everything, I still think of you as my Moon."

Austin's face broke into a wide smile before he stepped forward and pulled her towards him. "You love me?" He asked and she smiled softly.

"With all my heart." Ally replied, playing with his locks of blonde hair. His smile grew wider, if at all possible before he leaned down and captured her in a searing kiss. He pushed her against her door and I closed it slowly with my foot.

I'm not going to tell you what happened next, because some of you have probably already guessed and it's way too… private to talk about. But if you don't know what happened well, I guess I should just say that it was the best night of their lives so far...

Hey guys. To those of you still reading this, wow I'm amazed and I love you. I have been the absolute worst updater ever. I can't believe it's almost been a year. But I have been putting off this until now since I just finished my A-levels and didn't want anything to distract me. I know it's a rubbish excuse but I need it so that I don't feel guilty all the time :/

I do hope to finish this story this summer since I have literally nothing to do until October. There's only two chapters left :D

Thank you again to all of you who continue to read and review.

Alyssa xxx