Disclaimer: I don't own the Lost Boys, they just keep playing with my mind...


Oh, just leave me alone! I'm starting to get mighty pissed off with this jerk. I've tried walking away, pushing through the crowd on the boardwalk, but he's still following me.

"Hey, hot stuff, come party!" He's drunk and obnoxious and I'm totally not in the mood.

I've avoided trouble so far, although I've only been here three days, sleeping on the beach and bumming drinks and cigarettes. A little light shoplifting. What I need now is a full on distraction for this moron. Or better yet, someone to frighten him off for good...someone like that dark haired guy, yeah, time for the 'damsel in distress' act, I think.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I stand here with you?" Just the right amount of nervousness, with a hint of sass, in my voice. But as he turns and looks at me, I almost lose my nerve. Jeez, he's gorgeous! I've seen him across the boardwalk before, with his gang, they seem to have some clout, people definitely get out of their way. That's why I picked him, although he's only with the little blond one tonight, not all of them.

"That guy is really bothering me and I thought, if he thought, that I was with you..." I stand a little closer.

He smiles slowly and asks his friend, without taking his eyes off me, "What do you think, Marko? Should we help the lady out?"

The blond guy smirks and says, "Sure."

"Which one?"

"Excuse me?" I was distracted by his eyes, dark brown, almost black.

"Which moron is bothering you?"

"Oh! The skinhead with the tattoo on his neck."

He nods. Then he surprises me, by picking me up by the waist and sitting me on the low wall behind. He doesn't let go of me and he leans in close. "I think we can do better than just standing together. Let's really make him realise he's not welcome..."

He tastes of spice and blackcurrants, bizarrely, his lips cool and hard as he kisses me. It's probably a good thing that he's holding onto me, because I might have fallen off the wall with shock. The blond guy snickers.

Dark Hair nudges my arm, whispering between kisses, "You should probably look like you're into this."

Into this? I can barely think straight and it's no hardship to put my arms around him. He kisses me for a long time and as he moves down to my jaw, kissing along my neck, I get enough breath to ask, "Is he gone?"

"Who?" He doesn't stop nuzzling my neck.

"The skinhead."

"Oh, yeah, him...Yeah, he went ages ago."

What the hell?

The blond guy is really laughing now and I make the effort to pull away from the mouth on my neck. Dark Hair looks disappointed, but he lets me down from the wall. I'm having to make an effort to not sway against him. I feel drunk. I'm the grifter, why do I feel like I've been played?

"Ok, well, thanks for...getting rid of..." I'm rambling and shut up abruptly.

The crowd parts and the other guys I've seen these two with, the other blond guys, arrive. The one with shorter hair and a mean look, the one I've figured for the boss, narrows his eyes at me.

"We're out of here." He says, in a tone that sounds like an order, stalking away. The guys all follow him without a word, but Dark Hair turns back to me, holding out his hand.

"Come with us."