Missing You (Sequel to Somewhere In Neverland)

A Party Song

Marina's POV:

I was terrified. Everything had to absolutely perfect for this day. Peter would never get another high school graduation. Sunny, sunny day. I glanced up at the sky as I was running out the door. Time to pick up Colby and Luke and Dahlia from the airport. Delilah had too many finals to make it down for the occasion. She was at UCLA, studying English. In fact, most of the kids were in college now. That reminded me, Kianna and Tony's flight would be in a little after two, but Emily offered to go get them so we could save seats at the granduation. Their kids were getting old, too. Tone Tone Junior was studying graphic arts. Even Hazel and Gabe were in school. Hazel was getting her masters in sports medicine at Penn State, much like her mother had always dreamed of if the band failed. Gabe was studying theater performance at UNH. 

My boy, however, wasn't going to college. None of my oldest boys were. A few months ago, while everyone else was on spring break, they took a trip with Jack to LA to meet with some record companies. No, Jack didn't set it up. The companies found them on their own. Equal Vision, Fearless, and others. However, they decided to stay in the family and stick with Hopeless. Of course All Time Low hadn't been with Hopeless in a long time since the switch to Fueled By Ramen for the last album, but the boys had no intention in being that mainstream. My band was never asked to upgrade to a bigger label. I wasn't bitter. I kinda liked being a dirty little secret upon the face of pop punk. I made my history as the frontwoman of the biggest all female band in the scene, even if it was for a fleeting moment and only three albums. 

(A/N: I never specified the albums by Still Burning Daylight, but logically speaking, they were made when Marina was 17, 19, and 21. By 22 she was already starting her family, along with the rest of them)

But back to the boys- They changed their name from Tacos For Dinner to something a little less crazy and random. They called themselves Camera Lense now. Max had apparently come up with it while higher than a kite. He said it meant they had always been looking at the scene through a camera lense, dreaming and wishing they could be up there with their daddies. Then the summer of warped came and they experienced that fame. Jack took them to Hopeless, who were absolutely wowed and loved the family tradition aspect. Good publicity. In four days, they would be bringing the Jeep and Max's beemer out to Cali for warped tour. They had already released an EP with Alex's equiptment that Alex had mixed for them, so Hopeless just re-released it. I was credited as a writer and producer. It felt like that first time I saw my name on a CD, back when I was sixteen. After warped, the boys would be going straight to LA to record an album. They had most of the material written already. Choosing a producer was tough. Pick someone new and spend a shit ton of money, but have the credit for doing it themselves without help from former rockstar parents. Or have Alex and I do it for nothing, living at home to save money, and get criticized for utilizing us. Peter had a better idea: Get a family friend to produce it. 

You have to remember, all Alex and I's rockstar friends are practically the aunts and uncles of these kiddos. Lots of former alternative music stars were just producers now, like Alex and Rian and Derek Sanders and Vic and Andy Black. But Peter had only one choice- Mark Hoppus. How about that for a first album!

I hopped into my car to go get the Hemmings. The entire ride over, my heart was racing. I was shaking. Alex had the SUV, too, so I prayed I could fit everyone and their suitcases. I pulled into the pickup, where I saw them, all three. Luke had a receding hairline already. Colby looked absolutely beautiful, dressed in a beautiful sundress and white wedges. Dahlia was fifteen and a total babe, in a tighter dress and even higher heels. She was a medium height between Colby and Luke. Colby hopped in the front with me, and poor Luke had to curl up his long, long legs in the back beside Dahlia. Luckily, Colby and Luke were sharing a suitcase, so there was plenty of room.