New Beginnings {ACM}

Chapter 29

Song of the chapter: This Is Halloween by Tim Burton

Emily's POV

"No, Austin, move it more to the left.... that's too much. Oh, come on, bats obviously don't hang sideways. Wait- a little- there! Leave it!"

Austin came down from the ladder and glared at me. "Only took you ten minutes to decide how you wanted it."

"You know me, I'm a perfectionist," I replied.

It was about a week before Halloween and since Austin had no rehearsal for his upcoming tour that day, we were hanging up decorations. Well, Austin was; I was barking orders like a drill sergeant. We were doing the outside ones at the moment.

He looked up at the string of black bats hanging across the front doorway. "Clearly. Now what?"

"The ghosts can go around the window, and when you're done that, the witch can go on the tree by the side of the house." I wheeled to the box of decorations and pulled out a couple of Styrofoam headstones. "I'll make the graveyard."

"Awe, come on, why can't I do that?" Austin whined.

"Because I can't reach the windows and tree in this thing," I snapped. "You can come help later. Lucy, can you bring mommy that box?"

"Me a big girl!" she said happily as she walked over and followed me to the garden, pushing the box in front of her.

"Thanks, sweetie," I said as I thought about how to set it up. I stuck one of the gravestones in and shuffled around in the box.

"Emily?"

I glanced up at the new voice and saw Jesse walking down the sidewalk in my direction with Blaze. Pancakes, who had been lying in the yard, jumped up and bounded over to Blaze. Jesse unhooked Blaze's leash and the two giant dogs played in the yard.

"Jesse? What are you doing here?" I asked. I glanced over at Austin and saw he was looking over at us from his spot up on the ladder. His expression was unreadable.

"I was just out for a walk with Blaze. I didn't know you lived here." He looked at my wheelchair. "Um, what exactly happened to you?"

"Tripped over one of Lucy's toys and broke my ankle," I said. "I've got a couple more weeks in this cast."

"Damn, that sucks." He glanced up at Austin and gave a hesitant wave. "You must be Austin," he called.

"And you must be Jesse," Austin replied somewhat coolly.

"Austin!" I snapped.

He sighed and came down from the ladder. "Sorry." He walked over to us and stuck out his hand to Jesse. "This was bound to happen sooner or later. I would've preferred later."

"Oh my god," I said, running my hands over my face. "I'm sorry, Jesse, Austin isn't usually like this. Right, Austin?" I added through gritted teeth.

Austin shrugged and I elbowed him hard enough to make him wheeze "Oomph!"

Jesse shook Austin's hand. "Nice to finally meet you. Look, Austin, about that whole situation with Emily and me-"

Austin cut him off. "Don't worry about it, dude. I was mad at first but- Actually, that's an understatement. I wanted to skewer you with a knife. But it's cool now."

"Are you sure?" Jesse asked nervously. "Because I honestly didn't mean to cause any grief between the two of you, I feel really awful."

"It's fine, Emily and I are great." I knew Austin was being sincere and wanted to be civil, but he still gave Jesse a look that said, don't even try and steal my girl because you'll never see sunlight again.