Leather & Chains 1987

Page 4

Waking up to the sound of gravel shooting up, I didn't recognize it as my grandfather's truck. Instead it was a new sound, more than four tires could make; they were here early. Looking out the window I saw Lucy and my brothers. My brothers looked older, definitely changed quite a bit since I saw them last, but that was going to happen no matter what with the amount of time held between our last interactions. I heard a dog bark and decided to go downstairs after a few minutes, "Afternoon Pop's," I watched him turn around hopping over to me as I giggled, the wood against my feet was familiar and cool, "How was your date hmmm?" He just smiled at me before making a zipper motion on his lips, "Oh you came home so late last night I didn't get a chance to tell you they were coming around early." I sighed while shaking my head, "It's okay Pop's." I heard Lucy's voice come from the kitchen, "How late did she stay out, dad you can't just let her do that."

"Oh she's an adult Lucy she can do what she pleases besides my girl knows how to keep safe don't you Rune-bug," he pat me on the shoulder before walking past, "hi to you too Lucy, I'll see you tomorrow Pop's I've got my last shift at the flower shop today and I got invited to hang out with she who shall not be named at the concert tonight." I heard him yell goodbye with a laugh before Lucy's voice popped up again, "Did you just- I am your mother don't call me that Rune," I heard running down the stairs as I ignored her, "Rune?! Hey!?"

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I had hitched a ride to the boardwalk with them at the insistence of Lucy but I didn't realize that she would drag me around after my shift at the flower store so now I was stuck following her as she looked for a job while my brothers got to hang out at the beach all day. I watched her walk toward a help wanted sign before I heard a crying kid, making my way over I knelt down next to him as she came up behind me talking to him, I picked him up walking into the store when I felt electricity flow through me, keeping my focus on the kid I set him down right before his mother rushed in. I looked over to see the blonde from my previous excursion and his buddies in the store hitting on the sales girl, for some reason I felt a bit jealous. I noticed not even a second later that the shop owner was talking in a flirty tone with my mother, right in front of me before I turned away annoyed and bored.

"I told you not to come in here anymore," I guess I didn't really hear that part or see the boys due to me being turned away thinking of how to escape, I could feel a soft peering set of eyes on me in fact it felt like a bunch of owls were looking at me, sighing I threw my head back and decided on a sudden plan. And with a clap of my hands, I spoke, "bye Lucy."

It was an awful plan but it worked more than I thought it would. I walked out the shop hearing her call my name a few times, she was definitely flustered at what I called her on top of me leaving her on her own. Looking ahead of me I noted that the same bikes from yesterday were sitting in front of the shop. Switching my attention I didn't anticipate my craving for some caramel popcorn or the eyes that followed me as I wandered off, "sweet freedom."

I heard the bikes rev up behind me and watched them drive off past me as I kept walking down the boardwalk, my feet thumping against the wood having been a normal sound that I've lived with for years. Turning at a smack of my lips I headed for the comic shop taking a detour to get there quicker, "Edgar, Alan you boys aren't bothering my little brother are you?"

My voice surprised them as they turned around to see me walk towards them with a green lollipop in my hand. "Rune? You know these two?" I had walked up to them leaning on Alan, my arms over his shoulders loosely wrapped around him from behind, "Of course Sammy these boys have the best comics in California, isn't that right Alan." I heard him gulp as I rested my head against his shoulder facing his neck, "I uh-I I..." I leaned off of him pulling my arms away making sure to rub against his back,"Hiya Edgar," I wiggled my fingers at him as I licked my lollipop.

They were both frozen and stuttering as they watched my tongue, Edgar was more collected while Alan was breathing shallowly, internally I was laughing like a maniac. "Find anything you like here Sammy?" He shook himself slightly just to answer me, "Uh no not yet. These two have been hound doggin' me..." I hummed handing him a few notes so he could get anything he wanted before I walked around Alan, I sucked on my lollipop one last time before sticking it in his mouth and grabbing a first series superman comic from beside him just for fun, "I'll see you boys later, yeah," I shoved another note into Alan's hand before trailing my hand up his arm and leaving, continuing to laugh in my head.

Walking out of the shop I took a glance back noticing the frog brothers were frozen in place while Sam watched me with shock on his face, maybe mild disgust. In return I winked at him in a playful manner and walked around the corner disappearing from view. Letting out a laugh I walked through the slight crowd exiting the little intersection area that was filled with little shops for tourists and the Californians that grew up here. I Walked over to the little snack shack biting my lip and ignoring the familiar bikers a little ways in front of me, I ordered two cotton candies instead of one when I noticed that same familiar kid watching me again, "Thank you," after paying I had turned in his direction looking straight at him causing him to open his mouth in surprise, holding out a cotton candy to him he ran over grabbing it, "Thank you, is that a comic book!?"

I watched his face light up as he took the candy and looked at the comic. I didn't expect him to talk to me but it wasn't unwelcome, I made a quick decision as I stood up from bending over, "would you like to borrow it?" He looked at me excitedly grabbing it when I held it towards him, "what if I don't see you again?" I hummed tilting my head as I looked into his eyes, "then I guess you can keep it, see you around kiddo." I turned to walk away but he stopped me, "Laddie, my name's Laddie." I turned back, tilting my head at him with a smile, "name's Rune, hope you like that one Laddie, see you around." I walked past as he took a few seconds to realize what happened before running to the bikes up ahead happily showing the biker with dark brown hair with a large smile on his face. I walked while I licked the cotton candy off my fingers that I had somehow touched.

"Rune!?" Turning back around I saw Sam running towards me, "What's up little brother," he looked at me breathing heavily before he took my cotton candy, causing me to pout, "What did you do to those two? They haven't moved since you did that." I giggled at him, I felt eyes on me again, "Oh yea that happens, it's called seductive abilities little brother you should learn how to use 'em," he looked baffled and slightly appalled at the thought of doing something like that, "Are you...are you sleeping with them?"

His whisper made me giggle, "Grody, Sammy I am as pure as a newborn baby trapped in a giant bubble," he started choking, making me pat his back with a concerned face, it was true and I didn't want people to think that I wasn't, I didn't need a bad reputation because someone got the wrong idea about me. "Well uh thanks but I didn't need to know you were a virgin." I shrugged at him before I ruffled his hair, "I have to go hug them or get close to them every now and then or they start stalking me." I walked a little further, stopping when I realized that he wasn't beside me, "Sammy are you okay." I think I broke him.

"Did I break him?" I whispered to myself as I looked at my younger brother's shell shocked face. I could feel eyes on me trailing up my body from my legs to the side of my face. Turning in the direction of the burrowing gazes I saw the bikes and their owners who just so happened to be the same guys from the earlier encounter in the video store. My eyes immediately locking onto the youngest blondes as his eyes bore into me, it took me a moment to tear my eyes away from him to look at the guy with Laddie, he had brown hair and a similar outfit as the curly haired blonde except the jacket the blonde had was covered in paintings and patches, his eyes captivated me as I felt a surge of energy and some kind of snap course through me.

It wasn't even a full two minutes of staring back at the two men when I saw the girl from yesterday out of the corner of my eye, looking at where she came from, I saw Sam and Michael together before Sam walked off. I heard the engine's purr to life making me throw my gaze back at the still staring Blonde with the jacket covered in patches and paint. He took off a few seconds after still watching me, as he pulled out of the parking spot behind the other three riders. I broke the gaze, throwing a quick glance towards him riding away after I walked over towards the stairs leading to the beach.