If I Had A Heart

Chapter 1

It wasn't often that a new establishment opened up in Santa Carla.

Most of the bars and restaurants that lined the boardwalk and spanned across the small city were old and decrepit; dingy little places where the newest addition to the layout was usually a jukebox from the 1950's. The people who seemed to permanently occupy these places were also not what one would call hip per se, with the average age of the common patron being around 65 years old. Their unfriendly demeanor came off as though they had never left their bar stool for the past three decades and definitely weren't about to make room for newcomers anytime soon.

This probably explained why teens and young adults alike were drawn to the the boardwalk like moths to the flame, regardless of whether you were a Surf Nazi or a Goody Two Shoes. The bright lights paired with the whimsical melody playing along as the merry go round spun endlessly and the sweet aroma of funnel cakes positively screamed youthfulness in every sense of the word. It was the place to be on a Friday night, frankly because it was the only place to be for the young, lost souls who had no other place to go.

That was until St. Mary's opened up, at least.

A simple dwelling that comprised of a small bar, a huge dance floor, and a few pool tables quickly grew to be the hottest joint in town. While it wasn't anything too fancy, it was like an oasis for those who were sick of walking the boardwalk countless times, surrounded by screaming kids and their exasperated parents. St. Mary's marked the only place for people above the legal drinking age to claim as their own before it was littered with old drunks or taken over by pre-teens who couldn't hold their liquor.

Now, the cool thing to do on the weekends involved walking down the boardwalk to grab a bite to eat, then subsequently heading to St. Mary's to dance and drink and completely let loose of all life's troubles. It didn't matter if you were a punk, goth, prep, or if you looked like a member of Flock of Seagulls. Anyone was welcomed at St. Mary's, so long as you didn't purposefully try to rustle any feathers. Of course there was conflict at times, with animosity between gangs boiling over into physical violence during a game of pool or the rare catfight on the dance floor, but none of that stopped people from coming every weekend. It was simply the only place that belonged to them.

This was precisely where Regine found herself driving to with her roommate on Saturday night, March 10th 1987.

Usually, she worked nights and was never able to make it to St. Mary's and experience it in all it's filthy glory. Fortunately for her and unfortunately for her coworker, a shift change made it possible for Regine to have the night off, which was somewhat of a rarity and she was determined to make the most of it. Jane, her best friend and roommate, was seated next to her on the passenger side which obviously deemed her "Car DJ" for the duration of the ride.

The Bangles blasted from their stereo system as they drove down the coast with the windows rolled all the way down. Their small apartment was only a few blocks away but it was chillier than usual in Santa Carla that night, and Regine had already promised to be the designated driver for their night out.

The cold beach air sent tingles up and down her bare arms as she drove, but she didn't care in the slightest. There was something magical about this night and Regine was going to savor it until reality bit her in the ass tomorrow morning.

At a stop light, she glanced in the rearview mirror to check for any smudging of her lipstick. Her eyes remained on her reflection as she adjusted her long blonde tresses that were looking a little too windswept from the short drive. She had taken additional time to do her hair and makeup perfectly that evening, attempting to look her best on her extremely uncommon night off. She was wearing a single earring in her left ear, a silver arrow that swayed in the wind when she walked. She looked over at Jane and saw that she was also wearing her earring that night, somewhat hidden amidst her heavy brown locks. They were sort of like friendship bracelets, but decidedly more chic according to Jane when she had surprised Regine with her earring on her 19th birthday. They had lived with each other for two years, but had been best friends long before that after meeting in middle school. Regine loved Jane like a sister, and their bond was so strong that no one could ever come between them, although a few past boyfriends had tried.