Alastor had stopped to dry off at a local diner where two of his oldest friends worked. Anthony or rather Angel Giannelli and Vagatha or rather Vaggie Ramirez, unlike Alastor and Charlotte they had not been born in Louisiana, Angel was originally from Boston and Vaggie was from El Salvador but unfortunately both had lousy fathers, so when their mothers wised up and left their men, they moved down here and took their children with them. They met because they all attended the same school and they were all misfits. A lot of the other children tended to bully them because they had a certain thing about them that was different.

For Alastor, he was "poor trash" and had a "mixed breed" mother. For Angel, he acted "queer" and was too "girly" to others. For Vaggie, she was an "illegal immigrant" which wasn't true and a "tramp" because she had developed more than most girls. And Charlotte or rather Charlie was "racist" and a "snob" because her father was rich and white. Granted they weren't bullied by the same types of students. The rich and well off ones preyed on Alastor, the jocks targeted Angel, insecure girls went after Vaggie, and those who had issues tormented Charlie.

That's why they mostly played in the bayou, none of the other children and teenagers really went around there because they thought it was too dirty or alligator infested. Granted there was a lot of mud and alligators did live there but mud never bothered the four of them and alligators typically avoid any form of human interaction. Of course it helped that at age eight, Alastor already knew how to use a rifle and he carried it with him everywhere except on school property.

There was never a group of friends more loyal and true to each other then the four of them. When two bullies tore up and muddied a brand new suit for Alastor that his mother had saved up for, his friends put together all their allowances to buy him a new one. When the jocks jumped and cornered Angel on his way home from school, his friends chased them away by throwing rocks. When some mean girls broke into Vaggie's gym locker and tore up her clothes so she'd have to walk home naked, her friends each gave her something to cover herself with. Charlie gave Vaggie her jacket, Alastor gave her his shirt, and Angel gave her his pants while choosing to wear an old pair of shorts he fished out of the garbage. And when a couple of wanna-be gang students mugged Charlie after school and stole a charm bracelet her mother had given her, her friends hunted them down and scared the cowards into giving it back with a green snake they caught in the bayou.

During the Summer they were inseparable and were always finding new and fun activities to do. Angel taught them how to play baseball in just a dirt field, Vaggie would invite them over to celebrate Holy Week and build their own festival to celebrate other holidays from when she lived in El Salvador like the Palm Festival and the Balls of Fire Festival. Alastor would take them camping and teach them how to build fires, set hunting traps, and show them the perfect spot t watch the stars and the sunrise. Charlie would invite them to join her on trips to movies and to the theater. They always went swimming and fishing and canoeing, Charlie's father would sometimes take them out on the ferry and Alastor's mother would sneak them into the The Song of the Southlands, every chance she could. They attended Summer carnivals and set off fireworks every Fourth of July. Needless to say, Summer was their favorite time of the year.

But it was never the same after Charlie moved away. They all wrote to her but she never got their letters, Vaggie and Angel had both tried to visit but by the time they had enough to buy a plane ticket to New York, Charlie no longer wanted to have anything to do with. And obviously Alastor could never see her, though he didn't mind the risk, he knew ending up in jail would break his mother's heart and when she passed, he was married and had children. Still they never lost hope that one day they'd see her again, and today Alastor did see her but unfortunately, the reunion was far from pleasant.

"Wait a minute, you're saying she actually pretended not to know you?" Angel said, flabbergasted by Alastor's report.

"Not just me, she pretended not to know you or Vaggie."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. I wish I was, and not only that but she actually accused me of theft."

"No way. Charlie knows you'd never steal."

"Oh she's not Charlie anymore Angel. She's Mrs. Von Eldritch and will be addressed as such. She's an entirely different person now. She's rude, stuck-up, mean, unreasonable, she's become just like her father."

"That can't be good. You and old man Luci never did get along."

"Well it's not like I never tried to. He just decided to hate me the minute I came into Charlie's life. He never believed I really loved her. He always thought I was just after her money."

"Now I forget, what did her mother think of you?"

"Lilith said that she liked me and that she believed that I really did care for Charlie, but she just didn't think I could support her. That I could be a good provider."

"In other words, you were a nice boy but not good enough for her daughter?"

"Bingo. So she and her tyrannical husband, took Charlie away from me and turned her into a nightmare."

"I'm sorry pal. I know this probably hurts you a lot."

"Not half as much as it's going to hurt if Miss Killjoy finds out about the bills. God, I really needed those six-hundred bucks. Now what am I going to do?"

"Well if I were you I'd get home cause she's over at your place right now."

"She's what?!"

"Don't worry, I've got Vaggie over there babysitting but you know how that shrew is."

Alastor bolted from the diner and toward his truck. He drove down to his house as quickly as he could and he arrived to see a mean-spirited, middle-aged standing in front of the small house he lived in. Her name was Katie Killjoy, she was a social worker who had it in for Alastor since day one, automatically deciding that he was an unfit parent and was just itching for an excuse to take his children from him. Lord, what Alastor wouldn't give to hit her with his truck right then and there.

But he didn't. He instead exited the vehicle and greeted her with a polite smile.

"Hello Miss Killjoy, so nice to see you again."

"Hello Mr. Devalcourt." She said coldly. "I came by to check up on your children as the courts required but your sitter refused to let me in and then your son told me that if I didn't go away, he'd pour kerosine on me and strike a match."

"Well they're not supposed to let strangers in." He chuckled.

"I am not a stranger. They know who I am, and frankly I find it concerning that your son can get his hands on kerosine and matches."

"He can't! They're completely out of reach. He was bluffing. You know how kids are." He said frustrated. "Miss Killjoy why are you doing this to me? You know my kids are not abused or neglected or poorly cared for. They live in a decent house, I make a decent living, they're fed, they're clothed, they attend school."

"They don't have a mother."

"So?"

"Children need a female influence. Otherwise they become incorrigible. Not to mention you have two daughters, a man alone can't guide little girls into womanhood."

"Lady not having a wife isn't illegal. Besides, they have a female influence. They have their aunt Vaggie."

"That sitter of yours doesn't seem very suited to her job. When I first pulled up, I heard her threaten to spank one of your kids if he didn't behave."

"Spanking isn't illegal either."

"It should be. Violence just escalates more violence."

"Violence? No one has been violent with them."

"And this hovel you raise them in, it's a disgrace. A most improper environment for children. Then there's your lack of regular income."

"I am doing the best I can."

"Well it's not good enough." She scoffed. "Honestly, I don't know what the judge was thinking letting you keep them. Men don't know anything about raising children, especially girls. The mother is the only parent a child needs. Only thing fathers are good for are breeding."

"How would you know? You don't even have children."

"That's not the point. The point is, you're a very lucky man because if I had my way those children would have been taken from you the minute your wife left and placed with families that are distinguished, cultured, who live in a wholesome environment. Not letting them stay here in this sin and poverty they were born into."

Alastor was furious, but he kept his temper under control.

"Now you listen to me, I don't know what your agenda here is but you will never take my children away from me. Never!"

"Never say never. Because in the end my report determines whether you keep your children or not and right now, my report isn't exactly in your favor. But I'm a fair woman. I'll give you one more chance to change my mind. I'll be back for another check in a few months and I expect drastic changes. Good day Mr. Devalcourt."

She finally got in her car and left. Shortly after, Vaggie came out of the house, Just as angry as the father was.

"If I were you I'd get the name of her supervisor and make a complaint. She's obviously abusing her power." Vaggie said.

"Yeah but who's going to take my word over hers?"

"I'm sorry about not letting her in. I didn't know who she was and the kids swore to me that they had never seen her before in their lives."

"It's alright Vaggie. I don't blame you, I don't even blame them." He sighed.

"Would it be wrong of me to pray that she makes a wrong turn, crashes her car in the swamp, and gets eaten by an alligator?"

Alastor snickered a little under his breath.

"Well technically the bible says were not supposed to wish ill will on anyone but then again God never expected us to be perfect." He said. "Thanks again for watching the kids. I hope they weren't a lot of trouble."

"Alastor they're your kids, they're always a lot of trouble. But I can handle them, and they're not so scary once you get to know them." She smiled.

"What am I gonna do Vaggie?"

"Don't worry, she's just trying to scare you. If she really could take the kids then she would have done it already. It's all bull."

"I hope so. I just wish she'd leave us alone. It's already hard enough with business being slow and the kids acting out, now I gotta deal with this crazy woman."

"Angel and I are always free to help you whenever you need us."

"But that's not enough for Miss Killjoy. According to her, my children can't grow up properly without a mother."

"That's a crock of shit. There are plenty of single fathers out there doing just fine."

"Yeah but not all of them are dirt poor and struggling to have regular income."

"I'll talk to my boss and see if we can get you a job at the diner. I know it won't be much but it's something."

"Thanks Vaggie."

"So how did it go with the whole shark taxidermy thing? Did you get the money?"

Alastor didn't have the heart to tell Vaggie about seeing Charlie again and what she had become. Vaggie had always had a very special bond with Charlie, almost like sisters. It would have crushed her to find out that her best friend in the whole world had turned hateful and acted as if she never knew Vaggie.

"No." He said. "Mr. Von Eldritch didn't like my work."

"What a shame. But things will get better I'm sure." She pulled her car keys out of her pocket. "See you at the diner tomorrow for breakfast?"

"Yeah."

"Goodbye Alastor. I'll pray for you."

"Goodbye Vaggie and again thank you."

Vaggie left and Alastor slowly entered his house, wondering what in the world he was going to do to fix all these problems he had.