"How'd you get that sunburn?" Sam asked when Veronica arrived at his house. They headed to the tree house to inspect some old comics that got dumped on him by some friends.
"Washing my mom's car, it was part of my punishment."
"Oh, does it hurt yet? Can I make a hand print on it?"
"Just feels a little hot, by tonight it'll start burning. And no. So where did you get these comics? These things look ancient! I've never even heard of these titles before. Land of the Lovesick, Music Filled Hearts of Blood, Dangerous Lovers in Wonderland?"
"Yeah, they never got real popular. My friends found them in the back of their store's storage room and thought it would be funny to crowd my tree house with them. They're not interested in corny romance comics that are in black and white."
"Who are these terrible friends that would curse you with such crap?" Veronica wrinkled her nose as she held one called Lovers Lost in the Tropics far away from her.
"The Frog Brothers," Sam muttered. "They could have just given these to their parents to use as papers for their weed. At least that's what I'm assuming they smoke..."
"I take it they own a comic shop?"
"Yup, down on the Boardwalk. Not too far away from where Max's video store is."
Suddenly Veronica got an idea: if Vampires liked to party all night long, where was the best place to do that? The Boardwalk of course. "Maybe we should go down there and give the curse back. You know, stuff these comics in their bicycle spokes and their backpacks. They'll love cleaning that up in the morning, or accidentally pulling out Sexy Lover's Naked Triumph instead of a book report that's due. Then tonight we can go on a nighttime ride on the Farris wheel! I've never been on one at night before!"
"I like the ambush idea, but the Ferris wheel I'm going to have to pass on."
Veronica looked bummed, "How come? You're not afraid of heights are you?"
"No no, it's not that. Remember when I told you the most murders happen at night? Well I just don't want to be one of those murders."
"I really want to see the Boardwalk at night, though, and the Ferris wheel would be the best way to see all of it." Veronica made her best dejected face. "But if you don't want to, maybe your brother could take me with Star and Laddie." She gave off a depressed sigh, then suddenly a glint of hopefulness. "Or maybe David could take me!"
"No! No, I'll take you; just stop getting all depressed on me."
"Yay!" She leaned over to him and gave him a hug. She now knew acting pathetic could get him to do anything.
()()()()
Later that night, they made their attack on the Frog Brothers. The two were too busy checking for thieves in the front to notice anything shifty going on in the back. Veronica and Sam muffled their giggles as they pushed the cheesy comics through the spokes of the brothers' bikes to clog the tires. Once inside the store they silently hunted out their backpacks and replaced all homework with the most risqué comics.
"They are going to kill me," Sam giggled when they took off running from the scene of the crime. "Can you imagine Alan's face when he pulls out Twisted and Sexy Hot-Volume One instead of his geography homework!"
"I can't wait to see the teacher's face when she realizes they made more than one volume of that!" Veronica giggled evilly. "So who was who?"
"The one attempting to look all buff and mean was Edgar, the other-Alan."
"Huh, Edgar didn't look half bad. How'd you meet these guys?"
"Edgar! How could you think he's attractive? And I just walked into their shop one day when I was still new here. They're descent guys; they're just really really really into vampire hunting."
"You've just downgraded his hotness. I love vampires. But don't worry, I still find him slightly attractive." Veronica laughed when Sam looked at her with a sickened expression. She shrugged, "It's a girl thing."
"I'm still at the stage where girl are weird and have cooties, don't give me actual facts that support my theory."
"We don't have cooties," she seductively responded, walking closer to him. "We have flesh eating bacteria that thrive on boy brains!" She gave an evil cackle as she messed Sam's hair and took off running toward the Ferris wheel.
"Hey wait up! I can't lose you, everyone will kill me!" Sam fixed his hair then took off running after her.
()()()()
"Hey boys, do you smell that?" David hissed as the gang came to a rolling stop.
"All I got is corndogs and a sweaty guy," Paul answered.
"No, past all that; follow the wind."
"I'd really rather not," Marko stated as he eyed a pretty little blonde running into a designer shirt store.
"It's that girl; the one who Michael's little twerp of a brother has a crush on." Dwayne said after testing the breeze.
"Very nice Dwayne. Let's go find her," David grinned as the bikes took off, rattling the nearby store windows. Marko sighed and joined the rest of the gang.
()()()()
Veronica came to a stop half-way to the ride, because on a nearby pole she spotted a band flyer.
"What's up?" Sam asked trying to catch his breath.
"Faster Pussycat is playing on the beach next weekend! Oh man, I love them!"
"Really? I've never even heard of them before."
Veronica started jumping up and down, "I'm so coming to the concert with my mom. It's the one band she can somewhat stand! I just really hope Kirby's not going to be in town that day." She stopped jumping and grew downhearted thinking about him. "He would be a total buzz kill to a perfect evening. All he'd do is complain, because he likes country."
Sam gave a shutter, "Ew, who listens to that stuff?"
"I don't know, whenever I listen to country it makes me want to sit in a rocking chair eating watermelon, and then spit the seeds into a tin can. I hate that feeling."
Sam laughed, "I know how you feel. It makes me want to lose a front tooth and start walking everywhere barefoot wearing only blue jean overalls."
"Well now, we wouldn't want that. You're ugly enough as it is." David mocked as he came up out of nowhere and pushed Sam aside. "So you like Faster Pussycat, Veronica?"
When he said her name an excited shiver went down her spine. "Yeah," she weakly replied. "You've heard of them?"
"Uh, they're like our second favorite band," Paul proclaimed as he sashayed up next to David. The other two were not far behind.
"Who's your first?" Veronica questioned, directing it toward David but looking at everyone.
"The Doors," David responded with a certain edge to his voice-almost on the verge of pride.
Veronica nodded slowly, "Older rock; I like your taste in music."
"Older?" Marko and Paul interjected in astounded unity.
"Sweetheart, they are not that old." Paul protested.
"Their lead singer died in '71..." Veronica weakly countered.
"Yeah, I still remember when that happened. David cried." Paul laughed a little.
"I did not cry," David hissed through clenched teeth.
"Sure you didn't," Dwayne sarcastically appeased.
"Hey, it's okay to cry if a legend like that dies," Veronica began to say, but was cut off early by David.
"I didn't cry."
"Don't be stubborn Davey-poo," Paul cooed.
All David had to do was look the blonde boy in the face and Paul knew right away that he wasn't up for any teasing.
"So how 'bout them?" Marko quickly changed the subject and motioned to the band poster. "Will you be at that concert, too?"
"Oh, you guys are going?" Veronica asked.
"Of course," David said, still glaring at Paul.
Sam finally intervened, "She's not sure, she might not be able to go. Come on Veronica," he pulled at her sleeve, "do you still want to ride the Ferris wheel or not?"
"Not go? What would you be doing that would make you too busy to see Faster Pussycat?" David finally averted his gaze from Paul and looked at her.
"Oh no, I'm going. One hundred percent!"
"Good, we'll see you there then," David said with a smile on his face. Only Sam could see that his smile was the same as a viper's just before he was ready to strike. To Veronica, it was the smile of a god.
"Boys, we have business to take care of at Debby's place. We'd better be on our way before it's too late." David never took his eyes off of Veronica as he gave the gang the direction. When he finally did break the look, he casually walked over to his bike and rode off with the others in the direction of that pretty little blonde (aka Debby) Marko had his stomach set on.
"I can't believe it!" Veronica giggled as she began skipping toward the Ferris wheel. "It's almost like a date with him!"
"What?" Sam stopped and pulled on her arm to turn her in his direction. "Date? Did I hear you correctly?"
"That actually wasn't supposed to slip out of my mouth." Veronica's eyes went wide and her face turned red when she realized her thought had formed itself into verbal words.
"Listen, you don't want to get yourself involved with those guys. I know to you they probably seem all wonderful, good looking, and heartthrob-y, but they are very dangerous and will probably end up getting you killed."
"Oh get over yourself Sam," she pulled her arm out of his grip. "Why can Laddie hang with them, but I can't? He's younger than me!"
"Because Paul and Dwayne like him, none of them like you. Not even David. He's just using you to get to me and Michael, because they hate us. With a burning passion. They would rather see us dead than have to sit through a dinner sitting next to us."
"Being a little overdramatic, aren't we?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm pretty sure they wouldn't hurt a fly. They seem like decent guys." She raised her chin a little higher and looked at him straight in the eyes.
Sam stared at her and tried to come up with a rational reason as to why she was thinking this. He could only find one. "You're insane."
"I am not!" Her mouth dropped open at his insult. When he didn't apologize, she rushed past him and began to head in the direction of her house.
"I've decided I'm not spending the night!" She yelled over her shoulder.
"Don't be ridiculous! Listen, if you're that desperate for some weirdo guy, I can still hook you up with Edgar!" He yelled back, trying to get her to slow down. That just made her pick up speed.
"Wouldn't that break your little heart? Maybe I'm wrong, but I was thinking you had a crush on me!" She nastily responded.
"I do I just don't want you to go with those terrible excuses for-" he stopped when he ran into Veronica's back.
"What did you say?" Her face turned red, but she refused to turn around and look at him.
"Terrible excu-"
"No, before that," she demanded.
"I don't want you to go..."
"Sam. Before that." She demanded through gritted teeth.
"I-I don't think I said anything." He took a few steps back and looked at the ground.
"I think you did, I think you admitted to having a crush on me." She bit down on her tongue. She hadn't meant for this to happen; she wanted to be close to Sam so she could get close to David. But she didn't want him to be in love with her. She only had eyes for guys who roamed the night. Now she was going to have to do something difficult, which would result in losing her only friend: break his heart.
Sam stuttered as he tried to think of a response. Finally he mumbled beneath his breath, "I guess I kind of do."
"Oh Sam..." Finally she turned around to look at him. Seeing him looking down at the ground with that pathetic look on his face was just too much. If only David showed up now, he could whisk her away on his bike.
"Listen, pretend I didn't say anything. Let's just go back home. Are you still spending the night?"
It would be an awkward situation, one she would just have to endure to keep the friendship. "That sounds good. And yeah, Kirby's probably going to be spending the night anyway."
"Kirby's over at your house?"
"Yeah. I didn't tell you this, but he made me wash his car, too. Of course, he left his windows open and I was much too polite to break into his car to close them." She giggled.
"You didn't!" Sam gasped with a smile on his face.
"Oh yes I did. He should have nice soggy seats when he finally leaves."
"You're such a brat!" They laughed as they made their way home, totally forgetting about the awkwardness that was supposed to be between them.
☢ ♥‿♥ 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝒇𝓸𝓻 𝓻𝒆𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰! 𝓓𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝒇𝓸𝓻𝓰𝒆𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓿𝓸𝓽𝒆 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝒇𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝒇 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝒆𝓷𝓳𝓸𝔂𝒆𝓭 𝓲𝓽 ♥‿♥ ☢