black roses | The Lost Boys (1987)

ii.

The girl nodded and grabbed it, placing it on top of the purse. I handed her a five and thanked her quickly. I slipped the bag over my body and stuffed my keys and cash inside. I moved back to the front of my shop and leaned against it as I stared at the new dreamcatcher in my hand. It looked like it was made for me. It seemed sturdy enough, and the dull yet bright colors seemed to match my room just enough to pass. I smiled a bit and placed it in my purse carefully, taking note of the fake feathers that looked dangerously close to falling off. I'd have to fix it up a bit, it seemed.

I stood next to my shop for a little bit, staring out into the crowd like I always did, when I saw him again. The curly-haired boy was joking around with another blonde. The hard expression he had on last night seemed to have diffused a bit, and though I still wouldn't approach him, he seemed a bit more laid back. The boy he was standing next to fit right in with the crowd. His blonde hair was styled in a way that made it look incredibly messy yet somehow put together. His style was similar to the curly-headed boy, yet also different in elements. He was clad in a leather jacket with a mesh shirt underneath that looked torn in places, tight, white pants with a slack belt, and a pair of leather boots that reached his knees. He was just as beautiful as the boy around him, and though at the time, he was laughing easily, I could tell that there was something different about him just like the other boy.

I watched them for a little bit, taking in their features easily. I mean, they weren't hard to miss. It was as if the crowd made sure not to step near them as if they were terrified. Maybe they were part of a gang. I never kept with who the troublemakers were. I didn't care. I didn't talk to anyone around here but Marigold. They could be the worst of the worst for all I knew, but here I was, staring at them like they were the sun, and I was given the ability to see it without burning my eyes.

I had to have been staring for at least ten minutes before one of them noticed me. The curly-haired one had turned and made eye contact with me easily. I gulped a bit, but this time, I was able to tear my eyes away. I barely saw him turn to his friend and motion toward me before I was staring in the eyes of the other blonde, his grin falling into a look of shock. I kept eye contact before looking down at the ground, afraid. What was happening to me?

I looked up to see the new boy trying to drag his friend to come toward me when Marigold finally showed up, wrapping her arm around me, grabbing my face, and pulling me into a kiss. I let out a surprised shock, and she giggled loudly into the action before pulling away, her permanent grin on her face. "Hey! I'm sorry I was late. My mom was yelling at my dad again, so I had to make it past them without being noticed."

I smiled and looked at the boys from the corner of my eye. The curly-haired one had the same look from last night on his face, his eyes watching me as his face was set to a hard expression. The other blonde looked hurt, and I silently wondered why, but I ignored it for the time being. "It's fine. I was just people watching."

Marigold shook her head and intertwined our fingers, pulling me away from the shop. "Well, I was thinking that maybe instead of doing the rides tonight, we could go to the beach? I know you don't have any clothes or anything, so I brought you one of my old bikinis that I knew would fit you."

I stared out at the beach and raised an eyebrow. "It's going to be freezing, babe!"

"Come on! We can keep each other warm!" She sent a wink and pulled me through people easily.

"I don't think this is a good idea."

Marigold turned back and shook her head, that smile still plastered across her face. "You never think any of my ideas are good! That's why you're always stuck in your room all day."

I pursed my lips before sighing lowly and shrugging my shoulders. "Well, then what's the worst that could happen."

"Ooh, don't say that! Makes it sound like we're in a horror movie!"