Ally Dawson's Secret

Chapter 8: Memories

Austin's POV

I pulled into the parking lot of the school. I took a shaky breath in fixed my hair, making sure every strand was in place. It was a bit wet. I should have taken a shower as soon as I got home, but I waited until the last minute. Now I don't look perfect for Ally. Fantastic.

I am really stressing over this project. This is my kinda-sorta first date with Ally, and I want to make sure it's perfect. I don't want to look stupid, I want to impress her. I know, it's a bit pathetic, but I really, really like her. I love her, for crying out loud!

I had dressed a bit fancy, in a blue button-up shirt with a vest over it, and a red tie hanging around my neck. I also wore black ripped jeans with a silver chain clipped to them, and my Nike high tops. I took a shower and drenched myself in cologne. I made my hair perfectly messy, and yet, I still feel like it wasn't enough. I NEED to impress her.

I step out of my car and walk up to the school doors. I still am wondering why we didn't just go to one of our houses. The school should be locked up by now. I push on the door, expecting it to remain closed and secure, but it swings open and I fall to the ground. I hear a laugh above me, and I look up to see Ally Dawson peering down on me, laughing hard. Damn it, I am already blowing it.

She holds out a hand, and I take it. She helps me up and I look at her and try not to drool.

She was wearing the prettiest blue dress ever. It was flowy and causal, paired with a tan vest and brown belt. She had on a pair of blue wedges, and was a good three inches taller than usual.

I realize I'm staring and blush. She glances at her feet and bites her lip. "These are the best clothes I have," she says, staring up at me with a little twinkle in her eyes. I nod and say, "Same here." I motion to my clothes and she laughs. "So..." I said slowly. "Why are we at school anyway? Wouldn't it be easier if we just went to one of our houses?" Her eyes widen and she jerks her head around, as if to check if there was someone watching us. She grabs my hand and pulls me away.

I let her pull me, hypnotized by how pretty her eyes look, and how the cuts are starting to heal. Before I know it, we are at the storage closet, and she opens the door and pulls the string. The ladder swings down and she lets go of my hand. She climbs up the ladder and I follow her.

We climb on to the roof and walk toward the bin. Ally pushes a crate near us and kneels down. She grabs a bag from beside her and unzips it. She pulls out a notebook, some pencils, and some paper, and sets them on the crate, using it as a table. "What do you want to write about?" she asks, tapping the crate with her pencil. I think about it for a second, and then get an idea. "How about the road to knighthood?" I suggest.

Her whole face goes pale. She bites her lip again and I cock my head to the side, confused. It's just some knights! Wait a minute... knights, knights wear armor, knight in shining armor! I blush, and I know she doesn't know I read the entry, but I don't want her to feel uncomfortable. "Or we could write about the Black Death, either one..." I said quickly, and her face turned back to its normal shade of color.

She smiles, causing me to smile, and says, "Sure, Black Death it is. Let's get writing!"

For the next ten minutes, we brainstorm ideas on how to begin the paper, and toss around facts about the Black Death. Somehow Ally ended up in my lap, leaning against my chest. My nose was nuzzled in her hair and I could smell the scent of strawberries floating around me. She was so light, and I remembered how she had almost died earlier today. The thought made me cringe, and she turned her head around, with a look of worry on her face. "Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

She scooted of my lap and turned to face me. She sat Indian style and looked into my eyes, trying to figure out what had me worried. I ran my fingers through my hair.