New Beginnings {ACM}

Chapter 35

Song of the chapter: Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots

Emily's POV

I woke up to find the other side of the bed empty. I knew Austin had left early to go rehearse for the upcoming tour so I checked the clock. 6:45 in the morning. Okay, make that really early. No longer able to sleep, I crawled out of bed and threw on Austin's purple sweater before heading downstairs to feed Pancakes. I was finally done with the crutches AND the walking cast. My ankle was fine now, but I knew I was going to have some issues with it in the future, but I would worry about that when the time came.

"Good morning, Pancakes," I said sleepily as I bent to scratch her head. She wagged her tail and licked my hand before standing up to stretch. She followed me over to her bowl and I poured her food in.

As I went to make coffee, my phone buzzed. I picked it up from where it was charging and saw that it was Taylor.

Get down here ASAP, her text read.

Confused, I quickly typed back, What's wrong?

Nothing, I'm just bored.

Jeez, T, don't do that! You scared me.

Sorry! But seriously, I'm the only girl here and listening to Alex and Austin talk about things I don't care about is agonizing.

You don't care about a lot of things, I texted back.

True. Hurry!

I rolled my eyes. I'll come down when Lucy is awake! GOODBYE Taylor!

I put my phone down and put the coffee on. While I waited for Lucy to wake up I turned on the TV and The Notebook was on.

"Oh, nice," I said as I turned it up. It was only forty minutes into it and by the end, I was sobbing, as usual.

"Why are movies so sad?" I cried in frustration as I wiped my eyes.

I heard Lucy yelling "Daddy!" from upstairs so I went up to get her.

She was standing up in her crib when I entered her room. "Daddy's not here again, honey," I sighed as I scooped her up. "You sure love Austin."

"No, no, I want daddy!" Lucy was actually trying to get out of my arms.

"Lucy, stop it right now, you can't have daddy at this very instant." As she continued to scream for Austin, I attempted to dress her but it wasn't working so well.

"Lucy Mahone, what is with you this morning?" I exclaimed as she kicked me. "You don't kick people, especially your own mother!"

"Daddy daddy daddy! Where's daddy?" She yelled.

"We're going to see him soon, okay, honey? So please stop yelling at mommy so I can get you ready." I sighed as I finally got her dressed and carried her struggling form back to my room. I set her on the floor and she rolled around in an angry fit, crying and crying.

"Lucy, here's your monkey, play with him." I handed it to her but she threw it away.

"Oh, for the love of god," I muttered as I quickly rummaged through my closet for something to wear. It was hot out so I grabbed jean shorts, a pink tank top and my black ankle boots. I threw it all on and put my hair in a ponytail before going to wash up. When I was done, I grabbed a still crying Lucy and took her downstairs.

"Are you hungry? Want some animal crackers?" I tried, grabbing them from the cupboard.

"No!" Lucy quipped. Pancakes trotted into the kitchen and sat down beside Lucy on the floor, but Lucy just merely glanced at her before face planting on the floor in a rage and dragging herself towards the hallway.

"Well, I guess you aren't eating then," I said but I grabbed the box of crackers anyway and stuffed them in my purse before hurrying to grab her from her trek to the hallway. I didn't even bother to put shoes on her; I just took them with us into the garage to the car.

I strapped her in as fast as I could and jumped in the driver's seat before pulling out.

Five minutes into the drive to the studio, I had to turn the radio on to drown out Lucy's crying. I mean, there wasn't anything I could do about it; Austin wasn't here, so tough luck for her.

I pulled into the back parking lot of the studio fifteen minutes later beside Austin's car and put my head on the steering wheel. My ears were ringing.

"Lucy, daddy is here!" I said as a distraction to make her stop crying but it didn't work.

"Mommy, no! I want daddy," she hiccupped.

"I know you do, honey, but daddy is very busy with work," I said, taking her out of her car seat and carrying her to the backdoor. "You will see him soon, okay? But you have to stop crying."

When I got inside, I could faintly hear Austin singing down the hall.

"My world's going under, and I can't remember, the reason that you cut off the line," came his angelic voice that I fell in love with as soon as I heard it for the first time.

"Who does that sound like, Luce?" I said as I walked down the hall.

"Daddy?" she sniffled.

"That's right, that's daddy."

Taylor came around the corner. "I can hear her screaming from the other room. What the hell is wrong with her?"

"She wants Austin. She's been doing this since she woke up and I'm ready to put my head through a wall," I told her. I gave Lucy to Taylor. "Here, you take her."

"Why me?" Taylor exclaimed before wincing as Lucy screamed again. "Damn, she's got lungs on her!"

"Well she doesn't want me! She can have fun with her auntie."

"Oh yeah, because she's in such a fun mood right now," my best friend said sarcastically. "Come on, Emily, you know she gets like this when Austin isn't around."

"Because she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you! It should be illegal for kids to hate their mothers, they carried them around in their stomachs for nine months and pushed them out of their bodies in agonizing pain. Mothers gave their children life!"

"Wow, T, that was deep."

"I try," she said. "But seriously, you can take Lucy back. Screaming children are not my forte."

"No fricken way, I need a break. Give her to Alex or something, but don't let her see Austin until his break or else she won't ever calm down. She'll stop eventually. Ugh, I need an Advil. Good luck!" I told Taylor before running off to the main part where Austin was rehearsing.

I grabbed an Advil from my purse and took it with water. I walked into the room to find Austin just finishing a song. Even this early in the morning he managed to look amazing in black jeans with the chain and a white t-shirt with all his necklaces. Simple but still HOT.

I flopped down in a chair by the snack table and when he finished his song, he noticed I was sitting there. He said something to his band before jumping down from the stage and heading my way.