"ARE YOU guys reading book?" Trish asked.

Austin was going on his world tour in a week and to say he was excited was an understatement. They (Austin and Dez) had decided that it would be best to teach Austin some foreign language to better help with his communication skills.

"I can ask, "where are the pancakes?" In fifteen different languages." He smiled.

"You guys are a couple of oof-days." Trish scoffed.

"What's with the animal print pillows?" Dez asked.

"She's turning the practice room into her new office." Carter smiled.

It hadn't really dawned on them that they would yet again be separating again.

Ally and Charlotte were going to school, Dez and Carter would be in California to return to film school, Austin on his world tour, and Trish in Miami to watch over the music school.

Of course, since dating, Austin and Charlotte hadn't been apart. So, they were determined to do anything in their power to make these last little moments... well, last.

Starting with fro-yo at the food court.

"I was thing, since we won't be together for a lot of the holidays this year, we she celebrate all of them this week before we leave town." She smiled.

"Great idea. We can do our anniversary, Christmas, Valentine's day. There's only one problem." Austin sighed, "I'm actually leaving for my tour in a hour."

Charlotte furrowed her brows, "What?"

"April fools!" He laughed, "Cross that one off the list."

"You're so not funny."

"I think you're smiling."

"I'm not." She smiled.

"I think you are."

"Guess who's auditioning for a musical?"

Austin and Charlotte turned to find Trish and Dez standing there.

"I got her the audition." Dez smiled, "The play is directed by my mentor and hero, Spike Stevens. He's also starring in it."

"But I thought he only did movies, like the one I starred in." Austin said, "You know? The Pilot and the Mermaid. Based off the book, The Mermaid and the Pilot."

Dez chuckled, "Oh. You ignorant fools. If you knew anything about Spike, you'd know his first love is musical theater. And now, he's come home."

"If I get the part, I'd have to do a little juggling between running the factory and doing the play. But who am I kidding? It's a long shot."

"A very long shot." Dez said, "But I know what Spike demands of his actors. I can help you. Watch... and repeat."

She simply did not.

AUSTIN HAD actually planned the date night for him and Charlotte this time around.

She sat in the fancy restaurant looking over the menu when she felt hands touching her shoulders.

"Happy Easter-versary." Austin smiled, handing Charlotte a single rose and a small plush bunny, "I bought you an anniversary present. It's hidden inside an easter egg somewhere in the restaurant."

"That's very sweet." She smiled, "You didn't have to do all of that."

Her smile faltered slightly and she placed the stuff animal on the table.

"What's wrong?" Austin asked.

"We only have a week left. I'm gonna miss you, is all."

"But we'll still talk all the time over the phone."

"Austin, I'm going to a nursing school. I'm gonna be very busy with studying and trying to be valedictorian." She explained, "This is a school full of smart people and super hard classes. I wanna do my best."

"Wow. You're gonna be meeting all kinds of smart John Hopkins people, doing all kinds of smart John Hopkins stuff, eating smart John Hopkins food."

She smiled, "I don't know how smart the food could be, but, maybe."

"Happy Easter-best-friend-aversary!" Dez said, popping in out of nowhere, "Carter told me we're celebrating a year's worth of holidays, so... here I am."

"No. We're celebrating." Charlotte said, pointing towards Austin, "You know, because we're actually gonna be separated. Not you and Carter."

"Whatever." Dez scoffed and faced Austin, "I found the gift you got me Austin. How'd you know my favorite letter was A?"

"He's your best friend for a reason."

AFTER CLAWING the necklace out of Dez's hands, Charlotte and Austin moved on into the new holiday... New Years and Thanksgiving.

"Did you know the first New Year's celebration was held four thousand years ago by the baby-lonians."

"It's babylonians." Charlotte smiled.

"I know what I mean. I'm a smart guy who says smart things like indubitably and post-modernism and..." He glanced down at his hand, "Mozambique. There's a lot more to me than performing and perfect hair."

"I know that, Austin. But right now we're celebrating New Years... and Thanksgiving. It's almost our fake midnight."

"Pfft, you're right sorry." He chuckled.

As the two of them counted down from five and began leaning in. Dez popped up once again screaming, "Happy New Year".

"Ooh! Let's share our New Years resolutions." Dez smiled.

"Okay, I'll go first." Charlotte said, "This year, I would like to have just one day alone with my boyfriend before we leave."

"Ugh, boring." Dez scoffed.

"Guys, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have some really important news that can't wait." Trish said, Ally and Carter following behind, "After thinking long and hard... I've come to a decision. Austin, Ally, I-"

"Ugh, what Trish is taking forever to say is that she's gonna go on tour with Spike's musical, so we're gonna have to shut the music factory down." Dez said.

Shutting down the music factory was the last thing Ally wanted to do, but she didn't want Trish to drop her dreams for it either.

"Guys, I'm really sorry about this, but I can't pass up this opportunity. I love being onstage, and Spike says this could lead to a career on Broadway." Trish explained.

"Trish, if acting is your passion, you have our full support." Ally smiled.

"Although, you did kind of promise you'd stay here and run the factory." Austin said.

Charlotte didn't hesitate to elbow him in the rib.

"Well, I don't see you canceling your tour to stay here and run it."

"This stinks." Dez sighed, "Without the factory, we'll probably never talk to each other again."

"That's not true." Charlotte said, "Why would you say that?"

"Let's face it, you and Ally are going to college. Austin's going on tour and he'll probably replace me with a new offbeat, redheaded best friend."

"What about you?" Austin questioned, "You're going to L.A. with your boyfriend I might add and you'll replace me with another pop star best friend like Justin Bieber, or Justin Timberlake, or some other Justin."

"Come on, guys we still have some time left." Carter said, "Let's soak it up like a wet sponge."

"Trish is quacking off to Broadway. She'll find a whole new flock and forget about all of us." Dez said.

"Are we forgetting that we just spent our last four years together or was that some type of fever dream?" Charlotte asked.

Trish simply ignored, "You're the one who told me to be a duck and follow my dream."

"Oh, that was this morning!"

"Wait, does this mean you're gonna be too busy to manage me?" Austin asked Trish.

"What are you even talking about?"

"Everyone calm down, this is ridiculous." Ally said.

"Oh, so I'm ridiculous now?" Trish asked.

"She didn't say that." Charlotte quipped.

"So you're agreeing with her?"

"I didn't say that."

"Charlotte, just because you're going to John Hopkins doesn't mean you're qualified to tell people when they're not ridiculous." Dez argued.

"Yeah, if we wanna be ridiculous, we don't need your permission." Austin said, "You know, ever since you got into John Hopkins, you can't stop talking about how excited you are to hang out with smart people, like we aren't good enough for you anymore."

She scoffed, "Are you serious? I never said any of that!"

"You didn't have to, it's in your tone." Dez said.

Austin stepped forward, "Yeah, you're going to smarty-pants school with smarty-pants people, it's just a matter of time before you find a new boyfriend with really smart pants on."

"Is this what the baby-lonains thing was about?" She asked.

"Isn't it babylonians?" Carter asked.

"If I want to pronoun it baby-lonians, then that's how I'm going to say it!". Austin shouted, "Baby-lonians, baby-lonians, baby-lonians!"

"You know, if you're all going to act like this maybe it's best we're going our separate ways." Ally said.

After half of the group agreed, Carter grabbed Charlotte by her wrist and dragged her out of the factory.

The two of them sat by the fountain and began stabbing their Italian ice.

"Do you think our friendship is actually over?" Carter asked.

"Ours? No." Charlotte smiled, "Everyone else's? No. Like you said, we only have a couple more days together before we're all separated, besides you and Dez. It's like the five stages of grief, you know? This is everything before the acceptance."

"So, you're not mad at Austin?"

"No, if I was I would've cried and made him feel bad about it."

"I would've done that anyway." He laughed.

"We're gonna be alright."

THE GROUP couldn't have been that upset with each other because they all ended up at Trish's first show.

"I hope this place officiated enough for you." Austin said, "I know you John Hopkins types love your theater."

"Depends on the show." Charlotte smiled.

"Will you two keep it down?" Dez asked, "Carter and I are trying to watch the play."

"It hasn't even started yet." Austin said, "You're staring at a curtain."

"Nothing I do is ever good enough for you." Dez cried.

Soon, the play started and nothing else was said between the others as the play went on.

But of course, something had happened.

But it was a good thing.

Trish's play had made the group (other than Charlotte and Carter) realize that they could work this out.

That even though they were going to miles away from each other, they could simply call.

"Char, I'm sorry for acting so jealous." Austin said, "I was just missing you already."

"I understand, dork. I feel the same way." She smiled softly, "You don't have to worry about me and some John Hopkins guy, okay? We've been through everything the sky has thrown at us and I'm not throwing that away for some John Hopkins guy."

The two of them shared a soft, but sweet kiss before Charlotte made Austin close his eyes.

"Okay, open."

The stupid I love you painting had meant a lot to the both of them and Charlotte wasn't going to leave Miami with having it with her at all times.

She had gotten a picture of his painting put inside a necklace she could wear and she got him a similar one with her painting inside.

Truly, it was the best gift that Charlotte could've gotten him, but of course, Austin had to one up her.

BUT HE had to wait four months to do so.

He found Charlotte sitting in the food court of the mall and couldn't help but shout her name to grab her attention.

She quickly stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around him as he spun her around.

"I've missed you." She smiled.

"Me too. I can't believe it's been four months. How was school?"

"It was scary and hard, but fun. How's the tour?"

"It's been fun but also really lonely. And it kind of got me thinking... about us." He smiled, still standing, "Like, if we had kids someday? What would you name them?"

"Uh," Charlotte chuckled, "well... if it's a girl... Saylor. Saylor Moon and for a boy Malachi. Why are you thinking so far?"

"I didn't know it at the time, but the day I walked into your life, was the greatest day of my life." He smiled, "There's so much about the future I don't know, but the one thing I'm sure of is that there's no way I can make it without you. So..."

Charlotte flickered her eyes down as Austin got down on one knee.

"Charlotte James Taylor, will you make me that happiest man alive and marry me?"

"Are you serious?"

"That's not a good answer."

"Austin... I can't."

- lucy has something to say!!

I WAS NOT EXPECTING HIM TO DO THAT AT THE END OF THE EPISODE WHAT THE FUCK

girl this clickbated the hell out of me

can you believe there's one chapter left 🫣

93k reads 👹

not over austin saying that he would fight katy perry and he was being so deadass

trish singing in the middle of the play and completely ruining the show for friendship

this episode could've been so funny and good if they didn't just waste the entire plot of the episode

they couldn't hire someone to run the factory????

bye :))))