Writers Note: Another very important song for the Story. When David lights up a cigarette, play "Space Age Love Song" by the Flock of Seagulls. Kinda always had it in my head that if Paul and Skylar ever had a song, it would've been this one. Total 80's bliss!

Chapter 28 "White Flag"

As I rode behind David on this bike, I couldn't help thinking about how my life was now planned out for me. I'd never make it to Los Angeles like I had originally wanted. I'd never get married or have a family. This was it. Me and these guys. And we'd kill people to survive. Because that's just the way that it was. I'd never see the sun again. Hell, apparently, I'd never see myself again either now that I had no reflection. And if there was a God, would he want me when my time was done? Would I even ever be done on this earth? How old would I live to be?

The old Skylar would've died of heart failure from all this stress I'm almost positive. But the new Skylar felt numb. Had no reaction to these questions, nor a reaction to what she had just done.

I didn't feel bad. I barely remembered the guy's face at this point. Maybe David was right. This wouldn't be that hard at all…

We pulled up behind the record store.

I looked at him questioningly.

"I know you don't like the clothes you're wearing, so I thought maybe you'd wanna change and get cleaned up a little bit."

Whoa! Was David being nice to me?

Walking up the back stairwell, we could hear muffled music coming from the store. I remembered there was a hidden key under the doormat.

The place smelled musty from not being opened in a week.

I stared at all my things that weren't that important anymore.

"Am I supposed to be excited to see him?" I asked as David took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Paul?...You mean you're not?"

"Well, I don't know…" I pondered. "I mean, it just feels different now."

"What does it feel like?" He asked concerned.

I hesitated.

"It feels like,…I'm supposed to be with you."

He stared at me.

Awkward silence.

His fingers drummed on the kitchen table.

"Would you say something?" I exclaimed after 45 seconds of silence.

"I'm thinking." He replied calmly and began to rub his facial hair.

Oh, this was weird. Why did I even have to say anything?

"Ok," He started. "What kind of feelings?"

I shrugged.

"Feelings like,…you can't stop thinking about me? Or feelings like you wanna hop into the sack with me?"

"This first one, I think".

He smiled thoughtfully. "Good. Cause that would really throw this whole situation for a loop. Uh, since I'm the one who turned you, we're kind of bonded, if you will. I don't really know how to explain it the best way, but I look out for you, and you look out for me. You and I will be good with communication,…it's just the way it is".

"Do you have that with Max?"

"Yes".

"Well, why don't the other guys have that with Max?"

"They do, but it's minimal. The hierarchy is still there, but much like how I turned you, Max turned me…the other guys drank his blood, but he wasn't physically there to do it. It's just different."

"So I have no ties to Max? And I answer to you?"

"I wouldn't say no ties, but yes, you answer to me."

"Am I the first one you've turned?"

He nodded. "How am I doing so far?"

"Well, I don't know. You could've had like a 'Welcome Home' banner hanging up, or some balloons or something". I joked.

He laughed. David laughed at something I said! Maybe he didn't hate me after all.

"Go get cleaned up." He ordered me like a parent. "I know someone who's gonna be really happy to see you. It's the first time he's been away from you since you turned. He doesn't even know I took you out tonight. I told him we were gonna wait til tomorrow".

I nodded and headed for the bathroom.

If he was so excited,…

Why wasn't I?

I took a shower and got all the grime off me.

David was right. I had no reflection, which was really creepy.

So, how was I supposed to get ready to see the guy that I apparently was meant to be with and would spend the rest of my existence with?

"David?" I peeked around the corner and caught him staring out the window.

"Can you help me?...I don't know what to wear."

He rolled his eyes

"Are you kidding me? You're asking me for fashion advice?"

"Well it's not my fault you guys don't get to have fucking reflections!"

"You've gotten mouthier since I've turned you". He muttered and threw open my closet door.

He reached all the way in the back and pulled out a long white flowing cotton skirt.

I gave him a look.

"Well why the hell did you even ask me then?" He snapped almost embarrassed and threw it back in.

"No, no, I'll wear it!" I said and picked it up.

What the hell was I gonna do with this?

I couldn't find anything to match it with so I went with old trusty…

I put my black Ramones T-shirt on and tied it in a knot so it showed off my flat stomach. Something I never would've done before, but what did I care now?

"Does my hair look ok?"

He moved it around a little bit.

"If you're thinking about asking me to do your make up, you can forget it". He said firmly.

I grinned and went to the jewelry box that was damn near empty.

I found my tarnished gold cross that I had gotten for Confirmation. My dad gave it to me.

I touched it quickly and didn't burst into flames.

"It's a myth." David called to me from the kitchen. "You can wear it".

How did he know what I was doing?

I put back on the black boots. They didn't look so "whorish" under a long skirt.

"Oh my God, are you ready yet?" He asked impatiently.

"I guess". I shrugged and met him in the kitchen.

He stared at me and smiled.

We went through the record store to get to the boardwalk.

"Skylar?"

"Hi Skippy…"

"Are you ok? What happened to you".

David snickered behind me.

"Uh, I just had to get out of town for a while,…nice music." I complimented him on his Psychedelic Furs.

"Thanks…you look different."

"So do you".

He did. He lost the glasses and wore normal clothes, like his mom hadn't picked them out. I looked behind the counter to find a little pixie-like girl with purple in her hair. Maybe he was trying to impress the girl who had probably been hired to take my place.

"Tell Larry hi for me".

"He's gone. He moved to Oregon. A guy named Max owns it now."

Larry made it back home. I was glad. I didn't want him to see me this way.

David sighed behind me.

"See ya around, Skippy". I grinned and walked out the door.

The boardwalk was a lot louder and more colorful than what I remembered.

Kids ran having fun with their friends. People were laughing, screaming on rides, and eating sugary pink cotton candy.

I followed behind David, taking in all of the sights that looked ten times more magnificent than they had before. Maybe because this is the first time I felt like I was in control. And I wasn't afraid to make eye contact with people, nor did I care what they thought of me. No one was gonna hurt me. No one was gonna laugh. I was here.

I strained my ears to hear if there was a song playing. Look, if I was supposed to have a moment with my "Soul Mate" or whatever he was, there had to be something really great playing. Disappointedly, there was nothing but carnival music.

David stopped in the middle of a bunch of rides. He lit up a cigarette.

"Can I have a cigarette?" I asked him.

"No. You don't smoke."

"Well, maybe I do now."

He gave me a look.

"C'mon, I just want my Sandy moment!" I protested.

He had no clue what I was talking about.

"Y'know, the movie Grease?"

"God, you ARE a girl".

"It's just that, " I started whining "When she gets all badassed out, and Danny sees her again for the first time, she shows up with a cigarette and it looked totally cool. And I feel kinda cool right now, and I just think it would add to the moment". I was jabbering on like a valley girl.

David smirked at me.

"Looks like you've got it all planned out."

I shrugged sheepishly.

"Well you can stop planning, cause he already sees you".

His blue eyes motioned behind me.

I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing…

I turned around facing the merry-go-round. He was on the merry-go-round?

Then I spotted him. Looking through the spinning ride I could see the three of them leaning over a metal fence yards away.

Something jolted in my system.

Like all of my energy was being drained from me and yet someone had lit a firecracker in my chest.

He was looking right at me with a mesmerized gaze.

I saw nothing else but him. His perfect face…

I wanted to burst out in a fit of emotional tears, because I had never needed something so bad in my life.

My body ached to touch him or to just be anywhere near him.

As bad as I needed him, I felt anchored to the ground.

Why wasn't he moving either? God dammit, Paul! Get over here now!

As if he heard me, He hopped over the fence leaving Marko and Dwayne behind. I watched as he jumped over the small barricade holding the people standing in line for the ride. He pushed past them and despite the guy telling him not to do it, hopped a ride on the merry-go-round and rode the semi-circle around til he got off on my side. And amazingly he did it gracefully and without taking his eyes off me.

He approached me slowly.

My skirt fluttered around my legs in the wind and the smell of David's cigarette floated past us.

He raised his hand and touched my arm softly.

My arm tingled where his fingers were.

A smile curved on his face and he grabbed me into a fantastically smothering hug.

"You're here." He said softly into my ear.

"I'm here".

"Are you okay?"

"I'm ok".

I was smiling so big my face felt like it could crack.

David had to be pretty proud of himself for setting this up the way he did.

Paul grabbed my face and kissed me.

My head became intoxicated with him as my drug.

"Hey, can you still get into your apartment?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked confused.

"Let's go have sex, right now!" He nodded excitedly.

"Way to ruin the moment, Paul". David laughed unbelievably at his abruptness and walked past us.

"You're a piece of work, Paul!" I scoffed.

"And you're my favorite piece of ass".

He kissed me again.

I pulled away and took off walking.

"Well,…Babe!...Come on!" I left him whining behind me.

I'd let him sweat it out for a little bit.

…But just a little bit.

Confidence was a nice thing to have.