Texas is Forever (Tony Perry's Daughter)

Chapter 2

I wake up to a sharp pinching feeling. I whimper and try to squirm away. I feel a cold feeling through what I now recognize as an IV and it becomes harder to move. "It's okay, honey. Breathe."

I feel a sharp stinging from my upper arm. It happens a few times. "Alright, her stitches are done. It appears she has lost about 30 pounds since the last time she had gone to the doctor. It is a little concerning to me, even though her weight isn't lower than average, because most of the time that type of weight loss doesn't happen without cause."

"What can we do?" "You guys can't sign off on anything. I'm going to try to get in contact with her biological father. There was a missing person's report filed years ago by him." She walks out of the room and I feel the light touch of Vic's fingers on my arm.

Eventually, I begin coming to again. "Hey, how do you feel?" I shrug. The doctor comes back in. "Her biological father is here. He said you guys could stay." I see Tony Perry walk in. He ignores Kellin and Vic for now, coming directly to me.

"Hey honey, I'm your biological father. Your mom must've taken you when you were little. I had gone home one night, and the next morning she was gone with no trace." I look at him and watch him.

"Honey, why have you lost so much weight?" "Because I have a messed up head that tells me I need to be skinny for people to love me. It's also partially the fact that I don't eat if I'm not hungry unless I'm being forced to and pretty much all I've been doing was laying on my bed, sulking about having to leave my friends to go somewhere where I would know no one. I was thrilled with the property, 100 acres."

"How long until you turn 18?" "Over a year and a half." He nods. I get discharged from the hospital. The next day I spend all day with Tony. I hug him in the afternoon. "I need to go tomorrow. We are getting animals and the other things I need to take inside. Besides, I do still technically live with them."

"I know, I'm going to miss you." "I'll miss you too." "Do you mind if I fight for your custody?" I shake my head. "Go ahead. I want to stay out of it though." He nods. Kellin and I go back to Vic's house for the night.

The next morning, I wake up before anyone else. I write a quick note thanking them and then I leave. I get to Vegas and it's about 11 am. I walk into a tattoo shop. "Hi, I would like to get spider bite lip piercings and a tattoo." He brings me back. "What do you want as your tattoo?"

I hold up a picture of the original Black Veil Brides logo (I'm talking circa 2006). "I want a quote that says "You're not alone" beside that one." I watch him sketch out that one. "Also, could I get this with the lyrics "Darling You'll Be Okay" through the center of it?" He smiles and nods. After he has them both printed out he comes back over to me. "Where do you want them?"

"One on each collar bone." He nods. "You'll have to take off your shirt." I do so. I watch him lay them on me. "What do you think?" I smile and nod. He begins and it stings a lot. "These are both band related, right?" I nod. "What are the meanings behind the lyrics you chose?"

"The "You're Not Alone" is basically just a reminder to myself and the "Darling You'll Be Okay" has a deeper meaning that I'm not willing to discuss." He nods. "Do your parents know you are getting tattoos?" "My mom has no clue, my dad probably does by now." He nods again.

"Is your dad gonna tell your mom?" "Not yet anyways. He might try and use it somehow in the custody battle but I would prefer to be in his custody anyways." "If you don't mind me asking, why?" "His music has saved my life. I would prefer living in San Diego over Texas and I just met him as a 16-year-old, I would love to be able to get to know him more."

"He's a musician." "Yeah, he's the guitarist in my favorite band." "That's awesome." I wince a little as the stinging gets stronger again. "I'm sorry." "I wanted this. I knew it would hurt." I pick up my phone and see a text from Tony. "Hey, don't text if your driving. Kellin said you were stopping in Vegas to get a tattoo. What are you getting and where? Send me a picture when you are done."

I reply. "Decided to do two tattoos. One on my right collarbone with the original Black Veil Brides logo and the lyrics "You're not alone" on the side. The other on my left collarbone which is the Collide With The Sky girl and "Darling You'll Be Okay" on the side of it. You can have Kellin tell you the deeper story about that one."

"Do you mind if I stop by? I'm in Vegas now." "Yeah. As long as you aren't gonna stop me from getting the lip piercings." "I'm not. I would be more worried about stopping you from getting a tattoo but it doesn't look like this was just a spur of a moment choice." "Nope. Which ones was, but both of them I have had planned out for probably 2+ years now."

"You're an odd child." "I know." I send my location to him. I hear Kellin and Vic so presumably Tony is here as well. I look at the guy. "My dad's here, can he come back?" "Yeah." I text him and he comes back.

Kellin and Vic come back with two different artists. Vic looks nervous as hell while Kellin looks excited. "Vic, why do you look so nervous?" "I'm getting a tattoo, despite my fear of needles." "It's not that bad."

As I say that the sting gets sharper again. "Kellin, why are you so excited?" "I'm getting my neck tattoo!" I smile. "Are you gonna do the barbed wire like you were planning right before your birthday?" He nods.

I watch the artist back away. "First one, finished." He takes a picture and Tony does as well. I watch him put an ointment on it and then bandages it up. He begins the second one and I get a text from my mom.

"Hey honey, the animals are arriving tomorrow between noon and five." I laugh a little. "Fuck. I need to be at my farm before noon tomorrow. I need to have it ready as well for all the animals." "I'll have Kellin take my car. I'll drive down with you and we can split it. I'll help you set up the farm as well."

I nod. "What animals are you getting?" "5 horses, 2 pigs, some chickens, some goats, a few cows, and a herding dog. It's gonna mess with my allergies to have another dog. At least tree pollen season is over."

We talk until Vic begins getting his tattoo. I watch. He looks really uncomfortable. I tap Tony and he comes down closer to me. "Go over to Vic. He needs someone to comfort him." He looks over and nods.

Vic's tattoo is finished at about the same time my second tattoo and lip piercings are finished. He looks really pale. I'm internally pretty panicked as well because I saw the needles for the lip piercings.

I'm shaking pretty bad but I go over to him anyways. I give him a light hug. Tony leaves the room with my artist. "What's wrong? You are shaking pretty badly." "I'm fine. Fear of needles as well, normally only when I see them which is what occurred."

I watch the artist wrap up his arm. "It's really sweet to get her name." He smiles. "She means everything to me." He walks up front with me and Tony smiles. "I already paid for you. Vic, are you better?" "I would be more worried about your daughter. She is shaking pretty badly."

Tony sees me and comes up to me. He goes to touch me and I flinch away. "I'm sorry, please don't touch me." He nods. "How can I help you?" "The music in the car will help. I'm fine." He nods. We head out to the car and begin driving to Texas.