Take Me Back To The Start (Tony Perry, Mike Fuentes, other people?)

Misguided Ghosts

As I stopped out of breath I found myself at the gates of Mount Hope Cemetery. I pushed them open and let myself in. Although the cemetery was huge, there were no cars nor evidence anyone else was here. I was alone. For the first time, it felt amazing. 

I walked the memorized route, even though I haven't been here in a long time. I found the plot that I knew by heart and sat down. I looked at the stone, "Richard Dylan Daniels, faithful husband, loving father, dedicated musician. 1960-2000." I felt the hot tears stream down my face and my sobs started to become more audible. I was only 12 when my dad was taken away from me and I can remember every bit of the heartbreak. My mother never found someone else before she took her own life. Her plot was right next to my father's, right where she would have wanted it. 

"Hi mom. Hi daddy," I whimpered as I tried to calm my crying. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tony's POV: 

I walked out of the hospital with Liam and Michelle, feeling more shitty than I normally do. I noticed everyone was staring in Vic's direction. He was crouched over like he was catching his breath and looking into the distance. He turned around and shook his head. What was going on? 

Vic jogged back over to us, "Damn she's fast." 

"What happened," I asked, slightly confused as to what just happened. 

"Charlotte did a runner," Austin said, his voice lacking any emotion that it once had. 

Michelle laughed, "Typical. She's so attention seeking." 

We all looked at her and gave her the same look of disgust. "You don't get to judge her," I spat out furiously. "I get that Charlotte has had some problems but she is still a member of this family. She is still Mike's best friend, she is still Jaime's soccer buddy, she is still like Vic's little sister and she will always be the woman that has something you don't." 

Michelle cocked an eyebrow up, "Oh yeah and what's that." Her voice was light, like she was teasing but I was dead serious. 

"Me," I said flatly. "So you don't get to pass judgment about her because she's had some rough times. She lost her dad when she was 12, her mother when she was 19. She grew up faster than the rest of us because she had to. If you want to stay in any of our lives, you'll shut your mouth," I continued sternly.

Liam tightened his grip around my neck where he was hanging. He missed Charlie and it was starting to become noticeable. It was becoming impossible to get him down at nights and he was uncontrollable during the day. I don't know what I'm going to do with full custody, I don't even want full custody. He needs his mother, not just me. 

"Let's go back to the house, that's probably where she went," Vic said softly. 

We all nodded and got in two separate cars. It was Michelle, Vic, Mike and I. Austin, Jaime and Jess went in the other car. I sat in silence while Liam just looked out the window with a frown set on his face. He didn't like seeing his mom in the hospital like that. All he's been talking about is Charlie, it's like the only thing he knows. 

"I'm hungry," Mike whined as we started passing by different fast food places.

I saw In-N-Out and started craving a burger, "Yo, go to In-N-Out. It's fast and simple." Everyone agreed and we got food. The joy of a burger was ruined when my phone went off, "Hello." 

"Hey man, so she's not here," Jaime spoke desperately into the phone, nearly blowing out my eardrum. 

I frowned, "Okay. Um, I'll think of places she could be."