Disclaimer: I don't own The Lost Boys. OCs, however, are mine.

First Dwayne joined him. Then Laddie. Finally, Paul walked over with a bounce in his step. David stayed on his motorcycle with Star. Both were staying quiet as usual.

"Still watching her?" Paul grinned.

Marko kept his eyes on Comic Book Girl, something that he had been doing for a while. Until Paul had pointed her out to him she could have gone completely unnoticed. Hell, she could have danced in a circle around him and he probably wouldn't have been aware. But then Paul had noticed she was checking Marko out a lot and gave his friend a prod. Soon after, her interest had sparked Marko's own interest. Whenever the boys had parked their bikes outside Laffin' Sal he watched. She watched back. And that was really it. They just caught sneaky glimpses of each other and didn't make any other move.

"She's looking at you again," Paul whispered when Marko had turned his back for a cigarette off David. "Wasn't Max going on about expanding the gang?"

Max…

Max had a lot of ideas that were quite laughable. Recently he'd talked to boys about making the group a bit more equal. David had recently turned Star, Max was looking for someone to 'settle down' with, and now he had started suggesting to the boys that some girls wouldn't be so bad for the boys who, in his opinion, were getting a bit too rowdy.

In Marko's opinion Max needed to get himself out of the dark ages. The boys were fine on their own.

Although… he wouldn't pass an opportunity if a girl was showing actual interest in him.

Why not? Maybe this one doesn't have to be a night's meal.

"You're not going to turn her, are you?"

Marko and Paul turned to Star. She had stayed near the boys tonight, next to Dwayne as she held Laddie's hand tightly. The poor boy kept tugging her hand and looking around the boardwalk. Despite his constant, eager hopping about she had been ignoring the boy and had been staring into the distance with nothing but the same regret she had in her eyes every night.

Now she was wide eyed, gazing back and forth between Marko and Comic Book Girl. David also had a curious glance behind him. He took one at the girl, smirked like he had seen the most hilarious thing in the world and raised an amused eyebrow at Marko.

Ignoring Star's concern he shrugged at David. "What's wrong with her?"

His friend simply shook his head, chuckling away to himself.

Marko glanced back at Comic Book Girl, studying her appearance and trying to find what was so amusing about her. For a Santa Carla resident she actually looked quite normal. She was short. About five foot one and had a penchant for brightly coloured clothes. Ah, maybe that's what David kept laughing at. Marko raised an eyebrow at the girl's choice of fashion for tonight. She had on a black polka dot t-shirt, almost covering a bright blue rara skirt, and equally bright blue legwarmers. So incredibly bright.

"I think I need sunglasses looking at that colour," Dwayne remarked and the other boys all snickered together.

"She's very… colourful," David added. He nodded to Marko's jacket. "Then again, maybe she's a perfect match for you."

Marko tugged at his jacket, a patchwork mess of different coloured badges and fabric. "It's a masterpiece."

"Dude, it looks like a rainbow threw up on you," Paul said. "But never mind your questionable taste… are you two going to start talking tonight or are we back tomorrow for more staring?"

"I don't know. Still not sure about her."

Her colouring was not what he had been looking for. She was not dark haired. She had light copper hair with a small, round face full of freckles. Like always, Marko was seeing her dance her way around the comic shop she worked in. She was giddily jumping around and twirling with a broom in her hand while she swept the floor. Music was blasting around the shop from a large stereo and she had begun to dance around the shop with her broom. She sidestepped to the rhythm, sweeping up dust as she moved around the store. And then she used the broom as a microphone to sing the words.

"When Max suggested we show a bit of interest in turning some girls for a change, I don't think he would have meant someone like her. She's always dancing around and singing. She never seems to be still," Marko commented.

"I could dig somebody else with musical talent," Paul said. "It's hard being the only talented one."

When Marko glanced at him, his friend laughed and slapped his back. "Seriously though, she likes you! Come on, bud, see what she's like! Look, she's checking you out again." Paul laughed and pointed to the girl.

Marko turned with a sigh. Just like Paul said the girl had slowed down as she danced. She was glancing behind her shoulder, eyebrows quirked up with interest. But when she saw him staring back at her she froze. Her eyes widen and she turned her head around.

"Shiiiiit," Bonnie murmured and nervously picked at her lips with her nails. She peeked over her shoulder again to see if he was not looking anymore. But the boy was and when she gazed at him he beamed and raised a hand to wave.

Smile and wave back, she ordered herself and obeyed. The broom dropped from her hands as she faced him and waved back. A giggle escaped her lips but soon disappeared when the broom fell to the ground. Immediately she reached down for it but stood on the handle with her foot and almost stumbled to the ground, flailing her arms to keep her balance.

You can perfect a Jive at dance but you can't gracefully pick up a broom?

She stood up, grasping the broom with her hands. The boy was still smiling at her and she continued to smile back, walking backwards to the counter carefully.

"Cute Guy is back!" she said, turning to Alan when she reached it. When her friend grunted back in a reply, his head buried in a Batman comic, she dashed around to where he was standing and moved close to his ear.

"I said Cute Guy is here!" she shouted and Alan almost jumped to the ceiling. The comic fell from his hands and landed on the floor, crumbled. His face twisted in shock at the sight of his comic but it quickly shifted into a glare that he directed to her.

"Bonnie! That was mint condition!" Alan growled. "Was it really necessary to shout in my ear?" He continued to grumble as he picked it up and placed it on the counter, using the palms of his hand to smooth the pages. He glimpsed at her with a slight annoyance but then he shook his head and the corner of his lips tugged up in a small smile.

"Uh, yeah. You weren't listening to me," Bonnie answered and bent down for her bag to take out a packet of crisps. She munched greedily on them and nodded to Laffin' Sal. "Cute Guy is here."

Alan's stare hardened at the sight of Bonnie's Cute Guy and the gang he was always hanging around with.

"He's a little on the pale side. They all are." He turned back to face Bonnie. "Bit suspicious, don't you think?"

This again, she thought with irritation but just shrugged at him. "No."

"Bon, you should be wary. He could –."

"Be a vampire," she finished for him. "Yeah, I get it. You and Edgar are destined vampire hunters, better than Abraham Van Helsey –."

"Helsing –."

"Whatever. You two think everyone is a vampire."

And it's driving me freaking insane, she added mentally and leaned against the counter. She cursed the day she ever agreed to be involved with this stupid vampire business with the brothers. Agreeing to go on a vampire hunt with them seemed like the right decision back when they were all thirteen. She thought it was a laugh, a bit of pretending and escaping from reality. It was on their first hunt that she found out her friends were really serious about this.

Poor guy. Bad decision to be a vampire for Halloween.

If it hadn't have been for the teenager turning around and punching Alan right in the face, the brothers would have probably tried to stake him. God, how embarrassing that night had been!

Alan dug in his back for his notebook. "I'm going to ask him a few questions -."

"Okay, this is the nicest way I can put this," she began, facing Alan squarely. Her face was serious as she took his shoulders and stared at him straight in the eyes. "This guy is cute. I like him. He may like me. I may want to go out with him. If I do… keep the freaking hell away from him."

"I'm just looking out for you. I don't wanna see you dead. Or worse… one of them."

Outside the shop Paul lit a cigarette and slapped Marko on the back again who was still standing there. "We all started out human, bud. You were a fucking hippy, remember?"

"I wasn't a fucking hip –."

"Go ask her out." He held his arms out in the direction of the girl, gesturing for Marko to go into the shop. When he didn't, Paul flashed a toothy grin and shoved him forward.

"Alright!" Marko growled and spun around to point a finger at him. "But if she turns out to be a psycho comic book nerd who starts planning our wedding and choosing baby names, you're dead. I'll get rid of her first and then I'm tying you up on a pole and leaving you for the sunlight."

As he walked away, Paul just chuckled and leaned forward to nudge Laddie. "He's all talk," he told the young boy and they laughed together. "You bored, kid?"

"I wanna go on the Giant Dipper," Laddie said and jerked his hand out of Star's. Paul nodded and beckoned the little boy to follow him. Dwayne stayed put to wait for Marko but Star tagged along with Paul and Laddie, keeping a wary eye on the short, blonde vampire as he walked towards the shop.

Looking through the corner of her eyes, Bonnie almost dropped to the floor in shock as she saw Marko walking into the comic store. She froze when she saw Edgar and Alan follow the stranger with their eyes. Edgar stood in front of one section silently. His head was turned to look at Marko and his hand was out-stretched with a comic dangling from his grasp. Alan stayed on the other side of the aisle, watching closely. If this had been any normal customer, Bonnie would have been giggling away at their hostility.

But this was Cute Guy they were stalking with their eyes.

And Cute Guy is off limits, she thought. I wanna date Cute Guy! No stalking!

She sent a quick glare to Edgar. One that screamed 'back off'. Peeling her eyes away from her friends, she focused all attention on the boy walking towards her and checked out his appearance properly.

Compared to her dark haired and tanned ex-boyfriends with a love for acid wash denim, Cute Guy was a complete contrast. The boy wasn't tall, dark, and handsome. He was short, blonde, and more cute instead of drop dead gorgeous. He was pale and blue-eyed with curly hair that was cut short at the front and longer at the back.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

She flashed him her best sweet, playful smile.

Now, play it cool. No silly giggling, no stammering, no gawping, and definitely no blushing.

"Hi there," she said and folded her arms on the glass counter. She kept her smile showing; it was the best one that made her eyes crease in the corners and her dimples show. Toothy but not cheesy. Friendly but not looking too eager or fake.

Oh, yeah. I'm the Queen of Cool.

It was when Marko grinned back at her she stopped being composed. She felt her cheeks burn, palms sweat, and that giggle finally escaped from her mouth. At the sound of that nervous high pitched laughter she clamped her mouth shut and looked down through the glass counter.

I should be a professional loser.

His grin had caught her off guard. She forgot all desire to play her cards right and be calm enough to start a normal, casual conversation with him. When he grinned, his face just shined mischief. It was a smirk that could easily hold secrets. An inside joke that made him appear to be saying 'I know something you don't know'.

"Hi, back," he said, still grinning. "I'm Marko."

Edgar and Alan were still standing in the same spots, completely rigid as they watched this smirking stranger waltz up to their friend. Edgar slowly shook his head at her when the older teen introduced himself and she caught his gesture with a frown on her face.

Do not introduce yourself, Edgar thought.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at her friend and turned back to Marko, straightening up.

"I'm Bonnie," she replied, ignoring the two disappointed growls from the Frog brothers. "So what made you finally come over to talk to me?"

"Thought maybe we could hang out sometime."

"Maybe we can."

Alan started to step forward. "We need to stop this."

Edgar grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back just as Bonnie glimpsed at them again. The minute she saw Alan coming forward her lips pressed together and she shook her head sharply.

"If we go up and start accusing him we put ourselves in danger. He'll know we're onto him and come after us. You need to think about these things, Alan," Edgar whispered.

Alan frowned in disappointment but his brother was right. All they could do right now was watch.

"So…" Marko leaned on the counter, putting all weight on his arms. He made a deliberate pause and Bonnie mentally ordered herself to stay looking calm and patient. But she couldn't help the tiny fluttering of her stomach. Was he about to officially ask her out?

God, I hope so. We've been staring at each other all week!

"You fancy it?"

"Hanging out sometime? Sure."

Two more disappointed growls from Edgar and Alan. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at Marko.

"Just ignore those two. They're overprotective and socially inept."

Marko chuckled and peered over his shoulder at the two frowning boys. They both stood with identical scowls on their faces, arms folded and standing with their legs apart. Moody soldiers, the both of them.

Wanting to get a bigger reaction from Grumpy and Grumpier he raised a hand, wiggling his fingers in a mock wave and with a smirk plastered on his smug looking face. Alan bared his teeth in response while Edgar's nostrils flared.

"Don't take it personally," Bonnie said and sighed. "They do this with any guy I'm interested in."

Marko turned back to her. "Oh, you're interested?"

She shrugged with sly smile. "I'll see. So what did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking… tomorrow evening around the boardwalk? If you're not working."

"Tomorrow is my night off. Come back here about… nine-ish?"

His smile widened. "That's perfect." He nodded once and jerked a thumb over in his friend's way. Bonnie's eyes flickered to the straight-face, dark haired biker who stood watching him. She noticed a smile on his face appearing.

"I gotta head off but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait," she said and tried to make herself look busy by stacking up a pile of comics that customers had misplaced. She sneakily watched him walk up to his friend who started laughing and patting Marko's back as they disappeared into the chaotic crowds of the Boardwalk. When he definitely wasn't in sight anymore she finally let out that squeal she wanted to make and covered her mouth with her hands when Edgar and Alan came over.

"It's a date!" she laughed, beaming. "Oh my god, how freaking cute is he?"

"Bonnie…" Edgar started and her face fell at the solemn tone of his voice.

"Oh no," she said, pointing a finger. "Don't you dare!"

"We don't like that look of that guy."

"You don't like the look of any guy."

"Everything about him screams suspicious," Alan argued. "Can't you see that?"

"No," she said. "He's just a guy. Why does every guy who talks to me have to be something supernatural with ulterior motives?" She grabbed the stack of comics, shaking her head at the boys and cutting Alan off when he started to speak again, another argument ready for her.

"No!" she snapped, sternly. "You're paranoid and I'm sick of it. Vampires aren't real."