New Beginnings {ACM}

Chapter 32

Song of the chapter: Shawty Shawty by Austin Mahone

Emily's POV

"Emily, thank god you picked up!"

"Quinn? Are you okay?" Austin was looking at me now from the driver's seat, and I gave him an I-have-no-clue look.

"I can't find Sheridan!"

I paused. "What do you mean, you can't find Sheridan?" Austin's eyes widened and he gestured to give him the phone. I held up a finger.

"I mean exactly that! I was setting up for the party tonight when I turned my back on her for a second, and now she's gone! I've looked everywhere."

"Okay, Quinn, just take a deep breath. Austin wants to talk to you, alright? Everything's going to be fine." I handed the phone to Austin.

"Quinn?" Austin asked. "Yeah, it's me. Are you sure you've checked everywhere? She has to be somewhere in the house, just relax. Are there any places she loves to be?" He paused, and I could hear muffled shrieking on the other end. "Quinn, you just need to calm down, take a deep breath and think. Okay, check there. Just a second." Austin pulled my phone away from his ear. "She's checking the basement."

"The basement?" I asked, confused. "Sheridan can't get down those stairs."

"Never know with babies," Austin said. "Here, Quinn, I'm going to put you on speaker. Okay, Emily's here now, too. And Lucy," he added, just so she would know not to swear, because from the way she was panicking, she most definitely would have done that.

"I checked the basement, she's not here," Quinn said before bursting into tears.

"Honey, she's in the house. Do you want us to come down there?"

"No, no, I live on the other side of the city, it's out of your way, don't worry about it."

I paused. "Wait, the laundry room."

"This no time to be thinking about doing laundry, Emily!" Quinn shrieked.

"No, I meant check the laundry room. I always see on TV shows that babies or little kids are usually in the weirdest places," I told her.

"Well, I'm desperate, so fine." Austin and I looked at each other as we heard her run down the basement stairs to the laundry room. A few seconds later, all we heard was Quinn screaming, "Sheridan! What are you doing in here? How did you get in here? You scared the HELL out of me, don't you EVER do that again, do you hear me young lady?!"

"But mommy, I was playing hide and seek; you were supposed to come find me!"

"Next time tell me you're playing hide and seek before I'm about to call the cops!"

"I take it you found her?" Austin said.

"She was in the dryer," Quinn said into the phone this time.

"How did she get in the dryer?" I asked, astounded.

"I have no flipping clue, but thanks for the suggestion, Emily. A few seconds later and I would have had a heart attack."

"No problem, girl, we're glad you found her. We'll see you tonight!"

"Once my heart is restarted. Bye, thanks again, you guys!"

"Later!" we called before I hung up my phone. "Well, that was eventful."

"No kidding. Thank god she found her," Austin said as he started the vehicle.

"I can't even imagine if that was Lucy."

Austin shuddered. "Don't even bring that up, I'm getting mental images."

I turned backwards to see Lucy. "Don't ever scare your dad and I like that, okay?"

She nodded, so that was enough for me. "I still have to figure out a way to tie my hair up like Jasmine's for tonight."

"It comes with those blue hair tie things."

"Really?" I asked.

"Well, duh. Otherwise it wouldn't be a Jasmine costume. It would just be a blue genie costume."

"You're quite the expert."

"Disney was my childhood growing up."

"Oh, really," I smiled.

"Really! Cinderella was the best."

"You have got to be kidding me," I laughed.

"I'm being dead serious. Those singing mice made me want to be a singer! It's not like I knew any better, I was like, five."

"I'm sorry I'm laughing, but you have never told me that before," I gasped.

"I haven't told anyone that before, I would lose my manhood."

"So you're telling me?"

"Well, yeah, you're my girlfriend, best friend, and the person I trust the most, so of course I'll tell you. But if you tell anyone, you are so dead."

"Oh relax, I won't tell anyone." I started laughing again.

"It's not even that funny!" Austin exclaimed.

"Yes, it is! Cinderella, of all the Disney characters, you pick Cinderella! Why couldn't it have been Simba from The Lion King or something?"

"Oh, I liked Timon and Pumbaa. Simba was cool, too." That only made me laugh harder, and Austin glanced into the rear view mirror. "Your mom is losing it, Lucy."

Lucy started giggling. "Mommy!"

"See, she agrees," Austin grinned. "Remind me to never tell you anything about my childhood again."

"Like how you're scared of umbrellas?"

"Hey, I'm not anymore! I told you that in confidence!"

I reached over and pat his knee. "Awe, I still love ya."

"Not really sure if the feeling's mutual anymore." Austin mumbled.

"Austin!"

"I'm kidding, Emily, you know I love you. But seriously, if you tell anyone-"

"I won't... at least not to many people."

"Emily!"