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I darted my eyes frantically across the room in such desperation for my daughter to simply appear any minute; to come out and say boo like she would have ten years ago…but there was no sign of her…
"Charlie…" I said breathlessly and frantically as I fumbled through the mess of her quilt cover. Perhaps she had simply fallen asleep under the covers; she was so small maybe I missed something. "God, you better be just hiding in your closet somewhere young lady!"
I flung open the closet door, expecting her to be hiding with a flashlight, maybe writing in her diary – even making a private phone call; anything that would be more than simply missing. As the door opened, however, clothes that had been obviously jammed in there flung out onto the floor and hit me with a thud.
"I'll kill her!" I exclaimed as I whirled around and headed for the hallway as quickly as my feet would carry me. I pounded heavily on Izzie's door as my emotions came through in the heavy thuds that hit the door caused by my fists. "Izzie!" I called in a terrified tone.
Izzie opened the door tiredly; her eyes pleaded desperately for at least a couple of hours of shut eye; but her expression changed nonetheless when she saw the desperation that crossed my eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Charlie snuck out Iz…" I said quickly as I grabbed my cell phone from my chest of drawers as Izzie followed me, trying desperately to make sense of what I had just said.
"She what?" Izzie cried.
I dialled Derek's number.
"I went into her room Iz…and she was gone…" I cried.
"Hello?" came Derek's very tired and very annoyed voice on the other end of the phone; he'd clearly missed the caller id and assumed it was Mark.
"Derek!" I cried.
"Mer?" he sat up in bed.
"Charlie snuck out!" I yelped.
Derek's voice went into a heightened stage of panic.
"What? How…where…when…?" he cried.
"I don't know!"
"Where would she be?"
"I don't know Derek…I just...she was at home tonight and it's Spring Fling and she's a little depressed…oh god…"
"Spring Fling?"
"I think that's where she is…"
"I'll come over…"
"Derek, we would be so much better just taking the two cars and looking for her!"
"Meredith, we need to be a team for this one…"
I fell into a silent lull as I heard that sentence.
"Hurry up…" I sighed as I slammed my cell phone shut with a quick slap and hit it down on the chest of drawers with a thud. Breathing heavily and panting with fear, I pressed my forehead to the door.
Izzie, in this time, had thrown some clothes on and was gathering her handbag.
"Iz…" I said.
"George is staying with the kids Mer…I think it's best that I help look for her as well…" she explained. "I'll drive the jeep around the streets and you can hit every Spring Fling after party with Derek…"
I sighed and shook my head over and over again.
"Oh Iz…" I said sadly. "Where could she be?"
"Have you tried her cell?"
I flicked open my phone one more time and dialled Charlie's number quickly; only to have it hit voicemail immediately.
"Clearly you've reached Charlie…let's just say that there are two options for why you can't reach me; number one, I am screening your call and not answering because I don't like you…or number two, I'm not here…" came her cheerful voice.
"Charlotte Shepherd...I don't know why you are not answering your phone at the moment or where you are…" I said as Izzie and I moved as quick as we could down the stairs. "Ring me back please…"
Izzie let go of a long and regretful breath as she fumbled at the bench for the set of keys to the jeep.
"I just thought that I knew my daughter Izzie…" I said as my voice grew panicked and teary. "She wouldn't be doing this if we hadn't…if Derek and I… if I hadn't walked out…"
Izzie grabbed my arms in an attempt to somewhat console me; her grip tightened low around my arms as she appeared firm and intent.
"Meredith!" she exclaimed. "For god's sake please calm down…we can't do this now…the what if's will not help us find her, nor will placing blame… at the end of the day we can't put bars on her windows!"
"Oh, don't you worry Iz…we can and we will!"
A horn sounded and Izzie and I made our way from the kitchen to the front door as quickly as we could, knowing very well that it was Derek out the front of the house. I jumped into his car quickly as Izzie climbed into the jeep, equally as frantic. As I climbed into the car I eyed Derek with a warning glare and called Cristina.
"She won't know anything Mer…" Derek said softly as he tried to make sense of what I was doing.
"Hello…?"
"It's me…is Charlie with you?" I asked worriedly.
Cristina let out a long groan.
"It's Spring Fling…" she sighed. "Did she sneak out?"
"Yeah…" I replied.
"Listen, I'll do a quick round on the bike around the streets…do you have any idea where the after parties are?" Cristina questioned.
"I have no idea…" I said tearily.
Derek suddenly reached out hesitantly for fear of what I would do as we approached what seemed to be a party.
"Cristina…we've found a party!" I hung up the phone in an instant as I looked around at the drunken teenagers that were piled into the house and around on the lawn. I got out the car once Derek had pulled the car over and leaned against the door as Izzie pulled up. Derek was about to barge in.
"Derek wait…" Izzie grabbed his arm quickly knowing the kind of temper he had when it came to his daughter. "I'll go…"
I watched Izzie make her way up a hill covered in scattered in loose beer cans and empty spirit bottles. As she headed for the door, past a group of boys, one of them whistled.
"Oh…seriously?" she cried.
But the door was so full on the other side that there was no chance in opening it; she had no way in.
"Hey…" Izzie grabbed a young girl's arm.
The girl whipped around obnoxiously.
"What?" she asked Izzie as she put a bottle of bourbon to her lips and began sucking the alcohol.
"You know…there are so many things…I would so love to bust your ass for underage drinking right now – but at the risk of humiliating my niece…I won't….I am looking for Charlie Shepherd…" Izzie said.
The girl shrugged.
"You're a little late…" she said.
"Late? Seriously?" Izzie cried.
"She was here about ten minutes ago…with that…Jeremy Mitchell…"
Izzie groaned.
"Are there other parties?" she asked.
"Uh…hell yeah!" the girl replied flippantly.
"Where?"
"Um…well there's the Gregson party on Meadow Road…another one at Llewellyn Street on the other side of town and then there's the party on St. John's Road…"
Izzie raced back over to us as Cristina pulled up on her motorcycle and pulled off her helmet.
"Cristina, I think you need to go to St John's Road…that stretches pretty far through town and you can pass any major stops. Mer and Derek, you will need to go to Llewellyn Street and that will take you past any clubs or anything like that…I'll go to Meadow Road…between the three of us, we'll find her…" Izzie instructed.
I jumped into the car and watched Cristina's motorcycle burn past us followed by Izzie and finally, Derek steered onto the road.
"This wouldn't have happened if…" my voice trailed off as I stopped myself saying what I really felt.
"If what?" Derek's voice was icy cold.
"Never mind…" I sighed.
"Meredith…"
"What, Derek?"
"Nothing…"
"Focus on the road, Derek…"
We arrived at what appeared to be a street party that filled the cul-de-sac that was Llewellyn Street.
"She wouldn't be here Derek…" I said quickly.
"You don't know that…"
"Yes I do! I know our daughter…"
"So tell me Meredith, why do you not know where our daughter is right now?" Derek snapped.
My phone rang and I snatched it up.
"Charlie?"
"No, it's me," came George's worried and anxious voice. "I just wanted an update…"
"We still can't find her…" I answered.
I jumped out of the car and made my way over to a group of boys that appeared to be somewhat Charlie's type.
"Do you know if Charlie Shepherd is here?" I asked them in the nicest way possible.
"Cutie Shep?" a boy replied. "No, she's at the Meadow Road party…"
I nodded a quick thank you and ran back to the car where Derek was waiting for me in desperation.
"Meadow Road!" I told him quickly as I fumbled in my pocket for my cell phone to call Cristina and Izzie to inform them of where we were meeting and where Charlie was. "Cristina! Yeah, yep…meet us at Meadow Road!" I then looked back at my phone as I dialled Izzie's number. "Iz…she's at the party you're at…I don't know…I think if you stay in the car and we'll meet you there…"
We pulled up at the party adjacent to Izzie's car and noted that she had now climbed out of the car and was staring with a mortified expression as she leaned against the car. I climbed out of the car just as Cristina pulled up. She pulled her helmet off and shook her head with sheer disparagement.
"Gross…" she commented.
"I can't do it…" I sighed.
"What?" Derek cried in shock as he pushed the sleeves up on his shirt in frustration and stared at the kids scattered across the lawn. "I am going in there to grab my daughter and kick that grotty little shit of a brat Jeremy Mitchell from her to Timbuktu!"
Izzie shook her head.
"Not in that mood!" she cried. "No way Derek…you stay here with Meredith and Cristina and I will go in…"
Cristina darted her eyes across to me in desperation and then back at Derek and finally back to Izzie.
"Um…what?"
"Come on…" Izzie grabbed her arm.
They walked over to the door and pushed it open.
"Man…" Cristina groaned. "These kids are…" needless to say, a girl spilled a cup of beer all over Cristina. "Oh…oh hell no! I can't do this Izzie!"
Izzie shoved her way through a crowd of boys that appeared to be rather large and bulky; presumably football players. She then came face to face with Charlie locked in what appeared to be a passionate kiss with none other than Jeremy Mitchell.
"Cristina!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, I've got this one!" Cristina tried to fight the urge but failed as she raced over and pulled Charlie back forcefully.
"Aunty Cristina…?"
"Get off him!" she turned to Jeremy. "Don't touch my niece or I'll wrap you around the tire of my motorcycle and start riding!"
"What…Aunty Cris?" Charlie cried as she picked up a bottle of what appeared to be tequila.
"Charlie!" Izzie screeched. She snatched up the tequila forcefully and stared at the bottle. "What the hell is this Charlie? Holy crap are you drunk?"
"What are you doing here?" Charlie cried.
"Oh, believe me, you have bigger worries…" Izzie told her. "Like how you are going to answer your parents who are waiting for you outside right now for some serious answers!"
"Your parents?" Jeremy exclaimed as he jumped up. "You said you cleared it with them!"
"Looks as though we're not the only ones you lied to…." Cristina commented; she turned to Jeremy. "Uh, I'd run if I were you…" she turned back to Charlie who was resisting her less than gentle grip. "Let's go!"
I stood awkwardly next to Derek as I waited desperately to see the auburn hair exit the house with Izzie and Cristina; even though I was mad, I still wanted my baby to be safe. I raised my eyes as they exited and let my expression change to horror as I saw that baby stumble as she held a bottle of tequila.
I was stunned.
Derek was too.
He then proceeded to walk over and grab Charlie by the shoulder as he pointed her in the direction of the car.
"Get in the car Charlotte…" he said in the lowest and darkest tone that was enough to scare anyone.
Once Charlie was in the car, I looked to the side at Derek as he followed suit and sat in the front seat with his arms folded.
I turned to Izzie and Cristina.
"Thank you so much…" I sighed.
Cristina shrugged.
"No worries…" she replied. She tapped on the car window and flashed her cell phone at Charlie, indicating she would call her tomorrow.
After Izzie and Cristina drove away, I climbed into the car as Derek drew in a deep breath and pulled out onto the road. We sat in silence for a moment.
"What were you thinking?" I exclaimed as I whirled around in my seat to lock eyes with what seemed to be an ashamed gaze that fell to her hands as she held her head.
"I wasn't…" she groaned.
"Too right!" I shot back.
"Why didn't you check on her?" Derek asked me in a tone that resembled bitterness and anger.
"I did!" I cried.
"Obviously not!"
"Oh so you think this is my fault….?"
"Dad…" came Charlie's voice.
"Who else is there to blame?"
"Um…the fifteen year old who snuck out of my house…so no, you can't blame me!"
"Mom…" Charlie tried again.
"Well…where did she learn to drink tequila Meredith?" Derek yelled.
Before I had a chance to answer that with my fist, a retching sound came from the back seat and I turned around to see Charlie covered in vomit just like the back seat.
"Oh…" she groaned.
"Ohh…" I said in frustration.
"Jesus…" Derek groaned.
Thought I would leave it there; I'll get into the whole talk thing in the next update; but the whole concept of team work with the MerDer relationship!! very important for them to realise that they need to work together and they're better as a team rather than apart!!
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