flames | The Lost Boys (1987) | revised

| FOUR |

Finally getting out and onto the boardwalk after being stuck inside all day was like taking a breath of fresh air, literally. I woke up around noon and my mother and aunt were already out of the house, so I decided to take my time and get dressed up. I spent the afternoon showering, shaving, and dressing until I felt hot. I did a dark smokey eye along with a bright red lip and dangly earrings, and then, I dressed in a tight black crop top, my trusty leather jacket, a high-waisted black miniskirt with fishnets underneath, and my big, clunky combat boots. Once I was all done, and my hair was teased and styled until I was happy, I felt extremely good about myself. I could have sworn I had spent a solid few minutes just twirling in the mirror.

I had made it to the boardwalk just after sunset, and I began walking around aimlessly. I didn't have any real plan for tonight besides hanging around. I had just begun to wonder if Paul and the boys were around when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder. I turned quickly, ready to tell someone off, only to meet the bright and smiling face of Paul.

"Well, don't you look nice tonight?" Paul stated, turning us around and leading me away from where I was originally heading.

"Yeah, I normally do." I teased.

Paul let out a loud laugh at that. "I gotta agree with that," he said, "you do."

"You've only seen me once before."

He took a second before responding. "You looked nice then, as well, so I'm allowed to draw conclusions." He tapped my shoulder a few times. "Where were you last night? I went searching for you. You said you would be back."

I did say that, but my mother changed my plans. "My mom locked me in a big, old tower hidden away in the woods because she read Rapunzel for the first time and thought it was a great idea."

Paul hummed, pretending to think, before he giggled a bit. "Don't worry, if your mom ever did decide to lock you away in a tower, I'm sure me and the others would come to your rescue."

"Wow! I feel so secure now," I teased, giving him a big smile.

"As you should. I'm a very trustworthy person if I do say so myself."

We both delved into laughs before I heard a semi-familiar voice speak up. "Hey, angel! You just couldn't resist us, could you?" I looked up to see that Paul had brought us to the boys. Marko was leaning against the railing of the boardwalk as he spoke while David and Dwayne were a bit off to the side. The duo was seemingly talking to each other through their hands, both moving faster than I could keep up with. It looked like they were arguing, but no words left their mouths.

I pulled away from Paul and gave Marko a hug that he reciprocated quickly. "Yeah, that's what it is," I responded, pulling away. I turned a bit to see Dwayne and David looking at us. "Hey, guys," I said, waving. Dwayne nodded at me, quirking his lip just a bit to give me a quick smile before looking away. David just glanced at me, giving me a brisk nod before turning back to Dwayne.

"Where were you last night, angel?" Marko questioned, placing his hands on my waist.

I slapped at his hands teasingly and stepped out of his hold only to get pulled back to Paul, my back to his front. "Our princess got locked away in a tower by her wicked mother," Paul said. "Which still doesn't explain why she's here today, now that I think about it." He placed his head on my shoulder, tightening his arms around my waist. "How did you escape your tower?"

I huffed before leaning into him a bit. "My mother and my aunt are going to be out of town for a few days. They left me."

"So, you're all alone," Marko leered, leaning forward while raising his hand so he could bite at his thumbnail. My eyes followed the movement of his mouth subconsciously before I snapped back to reality.