Stories Yet To Unfold

Rian pushed the cart with me in it around and around the store. I chuckled every time somebody stared at us for an odd amount of time and we would both give each other a mutual smile. While Rian was picking out a hot dog brand, I spoke. “Why did we get stuck going shopping for this Barbeque thing the boys are into?”

Rian shrugged with a smile and replied. “I guess it’s because that park grill was so disgusting, that it took all four of them to clean it off.”

Just as Mr. Dawson finished talking, Matt came around the corner with six packages of hot dog and hamburger buns for the rest of us. I laughed at the sight and made fun of him. “It’s like we’re going to feed a family of twenty or something.”

“In our own little way, we are a family,” Flyzik smirked as he shoveled a bunch of hot dog packages in the cart around me; ignoring Rian’s protests about the brand. “And we sure as hell eat like a pack of twenty people.”

“Well, don’t you have your own families? What are they like?” I questioned curiously, desperate to learn about what father/mother figures were in Rian and Matt’s life.

Rian contemplated what to say for a moment before talking. “My dad ran out on us when I was about five, and my mom remarried to this awesome guy named Dennis, I really love him like my own father. I also have a brother named Chase; we’re kind of close you could say. I really love my family. What about you, Matt?”

“I love mine too, obviously,” he started off as we turned down the frozen treats isle. “I have a mom and a dad with no siblings. I’ve always been close with my mom and dad, but that’s because they’re so close to my age. My mom had me when she was 19, so we all get along really well.”

An awkward silence fell over us as it was my turn to explain my own family situation. Rian was the one who turned out to be brave enough to ask, and I quickly answered. “My dad left when I was three or four, I really don’t remember much about him. My mom, well, she’s in prison right now for a really long time, but I’m honestly pretty glad, she was never good to me. Sometimes I wonder about my dad though. My mom said he left us, but she always lies. So, to be completely honest, I have no idea what happened with him.”

“You should maybe try and find him,” Rian suggested. “Even if nothing comes of it, it might be kind of cool to see what he’s like, or if he’s worth any of your time.”

“No!” Matt protested loudly. A few people turned to look at him, but soon turned their heads once Matt apologized.

I gave him a funny look and asked. “Why?”

“I mean, I want you to be happy, Melissa, you know,” he tried to begin. “I just… then you’d have to go live with him, you know? We all like you living here, if you’re happy.”

I smiled warmly at him as we finally got in the checkout line. “I don’t want to leave you guys, but I think it’d be cool to see what he’s like. Maybe he could tell me more about what happened, you know?”

Both Matt and Rian agreed as we piled thing in the van and headed back to the park just a few streets down. I let my mind wander with the idea as we drove down the roads. What if my dad was out there looking for me too? But, what if the government didn’t find him for a reason? What if he was as much trouble as my mom is?

I let the thoughts leave my mind and simply enjoyed the picnic. I spent the next few hours in silence. I just enjoyed the food, the conversations the other six had, and let my mind wander to all sorts of places. Even though I loved every single one of these boys, having my dad in my life just a bit would help my curiosity so much.



That night, Alex pulled me aside with a worried look and asked me several questions. “Are you alright? You seemed so out of it today; do you want to talk at all? What’s bothering you?”

“Oh, nothing is bothering me at all,” I replied, telling part of the truth. “I’m just deep in thought."

“Well, you know I’m here if you need to vent, alright? I do care about you, Melissa,” he said seriously, looking into my eyes.

Matt then came over without noticing Alex behind the wall and spoke. “Do you want to do this? The hotel has a computer; we can go do it now.”

“Do what?” Alex questioned curiously and suspiciously as he came into Flyzik’s line of vision.

Matt’s eyes widened a bit as he tried to collect himself. Once he did, he answered him. “Melissa and I want to watch this video that my friend sent me is all.”

“Well, then let me see too! Count me in!” Alex responded excitedly, beginning to walk out the door before Matt or I actually responded.

“Nah, let me and Melissa bond for a minute,” the tour manager exclaimed, trying his best to not sound stressed out, and it obviously wasn’t working.

“It’s fine, I don’t give a shit, I just want to know,” I told Matt, my eyes pleading for answers. Matt nodded as he dragged the two of us downstairs and into the small room with a computer. We shut and locked the door behind us as we got onto Facebook.

“Do you know his last name?” Matt asked me as he logged in and clicked the search bar.

“Wait, what are we searching, you guys? I’m looking for quality humor,” Alex complained as he pulled up a second chair.

I searched my brain as hard as I could - remembering all of the drunken talks my mom had with me about her ex-boyfriend. “His name is Ted Jarasha, I’m positive of it.”

Matt clicked the magnifying glass next to the search bar and waited patiently for the results. Of course, the hotel internet was impossibly slow, and it only made my heart beat faster and my esophagus tighten even more.

Only three guys popped up, and Matt opened each of them in a new tab as he closed the current one. As the profiles loaded, Alex decided to butt in again. “Where is the video? This computer is impossible.”

“There’s no video, dumbass,” Matt scoffed as he tapped his fingers and looked intently at the pictures of the first man. “We’re looking for somebody important.”

“Wait, who?” Gaskarth asked as he put his face closer to the screen.

Matt ignored him and clicked on the first picture to load. The man there has a square face just like mine, and gray, curly hair. His smile was nothing more than my small smirk and there was a woman at least twenty years younger hooked onto his side. I gulped hard when I realized we had the same chocolate brown eyes and long nose.

“My father,” I finally answered Alex as a few tears welled in my eyes. “And that’s him.”