It was my second day off and after coming home yesterday I had slept in quite long today. Lazy I looked out the window, it was a bright day. Maybe I should go down to the beach and have some fun on my own. That was as good a plan as every other.

I rolled out of bed and took a long shower. I decided to put on my bikini here for I didn't know if I could change at the beach. I decided on a plain white bikini with some black lace ornaments that didn't make me look too pale and threw a thin black summer dress over it that barely touched my knees.

I put on some black sandals with the small heel and left a note for Shelly on the kitchen table.

Walking down to the beach took me a bit longer because I took a wrong turn at some point and had to walk all the way back. When I finally arrived I walked alongside the water line until I found a spot that wasn't packing so much.

After settling down under a parasol I took out the book I brought along and started reading while enjoying the warmth. I couldn't stay out in the sun for long, I tended to get sunburned quite easily due to my pale skin.

I was startled when a ball hit me. Lucky for me it was one of those soft volleyballs.

"Hey. I am sorry. Did we hurt you, gorgeous?" I looked up into the face of one of those sunburned surfer boys. He had the ball tucked under his arm and was looking me over.

"Nah, I'm alright." I turned back to my book but a second later he had snatched it away from me. I looked up annoyed and raised my eyebrows at him.

"I haven't seen you around. You're new in murder town number one?" He laughed and obviously found himself really funny. I wrinkled my nose.

"I'm not new. Can you now please give me back my book?"

"Hey Shane! Get your sorry ass back here!" One of his friends had been getting impatient and with a roll of his eyes he finally gave me back my book.

"You can always join us. To play or for some other fun." I wanted to throw up. Why did guys like this always think they would be successful with shit like that.

When the sun started getting lower I packed up and put my dress back on. When I made my way to the stairs leading up to the boardwalk I could hear Shane and his idiot friends holler and wolf whistle at me. I decided to just ignore them, everything else wouldn't get me far.

Up here on the boardwalk I regretted not bringing a jacket for later, I hadn't expected the wind to freshen up. Maybe it was just because I had been down at the beach all day.

I decided to walk over to the video shop, showing Maria that I was still alive and kicking. When I opened the door it was already dark outside.

"Hey, girl. How are you doing?" Maria asked from behind the counter with a big smile.

"I'm better. How are you?" I leaned on the counter as well.

"I'm good. You know what. Max will be here any minute. I'm sure he will be happy to see you." I smiled back at her. I have seen the owner of the shop a few times in the past year and had taken an instant liking to him. Sure he looked a bit odd but he was kind, always concerned for us girls. He had this fatherly vibe about him and he often told us he cared so much because he didn't have kids himself.

"Amy. What a pleasant surprise." Max had stopped next to me and pulled me into a strong hug. "How are you holding up? Maria told me what happened with Devin." My smile faltered for a second and I just shrugged.

"I'm dealing with it. Haven't seen his face for over a week now. Not that I would complain about it." He nodded and reached behind the counter to hand me one of the lollipops he had stashed there. I took it with a smile and quickly unwrapped it.

"I think I will be around for a while and see what's new." I always felt like a kid when I was here with one of Max's lollipops in my mouth and strolling around the shop.

I walked into the horror section, this had always been kind of my thing. I was looking at the video-summary of Stephen King's' "Christine'' when I distantly heard the doorbell twice. I didn't really pay any attention until I heard a familiar voice.

"Goodbye Terry." I looked up and felt all blood drain from my face. Of all the places, why here? I felt sick to my bones when I saw the woman with the short hair talking to Max.

"You're looking awfully pale, you know?" I let go of the video I was still holding and it clattered to the ground quite loudly. Paul looked at me with a wide grin and I just wanted to wipe that smile off his, I had to admit, handsome face.

"I was wondering…" he started leaning casually against the shelf next to us but I cut him short.

"I need to get out of here." I just turned around not noticing his friends laughing at him. I had almost made it to the door when I heard her.

"Amy?" I cringed and slowly turned back around, both Max and the woman staring at me.

"Hello Mrs. Emerson…" I slowly replied letting my gaze fall to the ground. I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Why? Why always me?

"Oh Amy, dear. I told you to call me Lucy. What in the world are you doing here? Have you seen Michael yet. Oh he will be so delighted to know you are here as well." My eyes shot up at her face in pure horror. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Paul and his friends leaving for the door after being told to get out by Max.

"I… I live with my cousin now. Who I am supposed to meet like half an hour ago. Bye Max and Mrs. Emerson." I turned and fled the video shop. I could distantly hear somebody call my name but I continued my flight into the crowd.

o-0-o

I was almost past the carousel when I was held up by somebody grabbing my arm. I was beeing turned around and was now facing Pauls' almost naked chest.

"Let go of me. I am not in the mood today." I whispered and tried to break away from him. He forced me to look up at him and there was no sign of his usual playfulness or mockery.

"No, Amy. I want to know what's going on." His gaze held serious concern and I tried hard not to start sobbing. I let him pull me into a tight hug and for the first time I felt kind of comfortable around him. I buried my face against his neck while he just held on to me.

After a while he loosened his grip and with his arm still around my waist he pulled me towards the railing and had me sitting down on it with my back facing the ocean. Once I was sitting safely he jumped up next to me.

"So who was that woman?" I stared down at the floor in front of me, chewing on my bottom lip for a while.

"The mother of somebody I knew back in Phoenix…" I kept on staring down.

"And that is so bad, that you go pale all of a sudden?" I let my head fall back and sighed.

"Actually it is. I was quite close to her son and…"

"How close?" Somehow I knew he would ask that but I still had hoped he wouldn't.

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend close. It ended way before I came here. Might as well say it was not only another time but also another life. We were… Hadn't everything that happened actually happened I suppose we would still be together. But I broke up with him and left basically everything behind and came here about a year ago. But it seems like the past is always catching up to me." I felt Paul taking my hand in his and I looked up into his eyes.

"Want to tell me what happened in Phoenix so that you had to come here of all places?" I shook my head.

"I appreciate you listening, but I don't want to talk about my past right now." He gave my hand another squeeze.

"So this Michael she was talking about is her son?" I nodded.

"Yes. And I am not so keen on meeting him any time soon. I don't know what he is like now, but when we broke up I was the one moving on. And even if he was still the same, there is no use in reviving something long gone, not with how I have changed."

Paul looked for me another minute, apparently thinking about something. I wasn't going to say anything else about that matter. He jumped down and held out his hand to me.

"Come on. I know something to cheer you up if you let me. There is a concert down on the beach starting any minute now. Care to join me and my boys?" I considered his offer and finally put my hand in his. Might as well take his offer and get some distraction. With a bright grin he pulled me down and to his side.

"That's my girl." He laughed and kept an arm around my waist while pulling me towards the nearest staircase. I had to smile a little at his cheerfulness and let him have his way for once.

It wasn't far up the beach and soon I could see the stage and hear music.

Paul pulled me towards some silhouettes standing on the outskirts of the crowd. Only when we were almost there I could really see anything illuminated by the fires and the stage lights.

"Paul!" I couldn't help myself and let out a little shriek when the curly blonde threw himself at Paul and they started fake-wrestling in the sand for a few seconds. The other two bikers turned towards us but I was still watching the two blondes rolling through the sand.

"That's enough boys. Behave." The cold voice held a glimmer of amusement. In an instant both parted and Paul had his arm back around me in no time.

"Guys, you remember Amy from the diner?" Two sets of familiar eyes looked at me and the one with the ice cold eyes, the obvious leader responded.

"Ah, yes. I remember. We took a walk with your cheating ex-boyfriend. Nice to officially meet you, Amy. My name is David." He held out his hand. His appearance was, like Pauls', something that screamed trouble. His white-blond hair was styled in a mullet, a dark shirt and a black woollen trench coat over it, black leather pants and black biker boots. I took his hand with a shy smile after a reassuring squeeze from Paul. David gave me a wide grin and turned to his friends.

"Well Amy, now that Paul finally got you to give in, meet my brothers, the Lost Boys. Paul you already know. Those are Marko. And Dwayne." He pointed first to his left at the one with the curly blond hair and blue-green eyes. He gave me a sly grin while raising one hand with fingerless gloves to his mouth and bit his thumb. His jacket was some piece of art with all those colourful patches and underneath a very revealing white crop top, paired with some ripped off and washed out denim pants and brown calf high boots.

So the one to David's right had to be Dwayne. I just couldn't help myself, I thought I might as well have been drooling. All of them were handsome in their own way but he was something completely different. Long black hair and brown eyes, ripped off black pants, black biker boots and a black leather jacket with a cheetah on his right arm. Only on the second once over I realized that apart from the necklaces with all the beads, feathers and even small bones and metal fragments, he was completely bare-chested under the jacket. He had this native American vibe going on. When he quietly nodded at me I snapped out of it and waved back.

"You said brothers? Is this some kind of joke?" I asked David. He grinned, while Marko and Paul started cackling.

"We are not related by blood, hot stuff. We found each other and are the only family we have. So we are a lot closer than brothers, we are family by choice." Paul rumbled into my ear. I looked at him and realized that I started to feel more at ease with the bikers. My body was still tingling and faintly calling me to stay away but now there was this small voice that reassured me that they would never hurt me.

"How about a ride on the carousel, Amy? I think they have been playing better down here." I looked at David and had to agree, the music was slightly contorted through the speakers and you couldn't really see anything from here anyways.

"Sure, sounds like fun." I smiled to which Paul and Marko instantly cheered. We left for the boardwalk again, David up front with the ever so silent Dwayne and I followed behind them, still tucked under Paul's arm and Marko hopped alongside me. It was weird, the crowd seemed to part for the four on its own and some people cast me an oh-so-sorry look.

"What are you doing? The line ends over there." I stopped walking and shrugged off Paul's arm. I looked at the four boys in confusion. They all started laughing and Marko held out his hand to me.

"You are not waiting at the end of the line. Not with us, babe." He gave me another of those Cheshire cat smiles and with a moment of hesitation I took his hand. The two blondes at my side hollered and pulled me towards the ride. One after the other got up despite some people giving them sideway glances for it. When it was my turn to get up I hesitated as the ride started to move. No way was I getting up there without an accident.

I flinched when a toned hand appeared in my vision and I looked up to see Dwayne holding out his hand. Without second thought I took it and with a soft smile he pulled me towards him. When I got up on the ride I lost my balance upon it speeding up and instead of letting go of me the dark-haired man pulled me towards him. For a second I was lost in those brown eyes.

"Come on, hot stuff." With a giggle Paul pulled me away from his brother and I followed him between the wooden figurines until he found an unoccupied horse. Before I could react he had taken a hold of my waist and hoisted me up on the horses back. A little shaken I quickly held onto the coloured pole holding up the horse I was sitting on.

I looked around as all of the boys gathered around me. Marko and Paul were directly in front of me, while David was standing at the horses' head. For a second I wondered where Dwayne was until I felt a hand on my hip. I flinched and had nearly fallen down if it hadn't been for his hand on my hip.

"Easy. I got you." His voice was a low rumble in my ear and sent shivers up and down my spine.

"So how do you like Santa Carla so far?" Davids' hand was on my thigh, his eyes fixed on mine. What was it with them constantly touching me? Not that it would have been unpleasant or anything.

"Since I have been here for almost a year now… I like it. It was the right decision to come here." I was trapped in those blue orbs and had the feeling he was looking down into my very soul.

"Why would you choose to come here? I mean 'murder capital of the world' and so on…" David rolled his eyes and grinned at me.

"I… I am living with my cousin… since there was nothing holding me back in Phoenix."

"What about your parents? They just let you move all the way out here?" I looked at Marko and felt the sadness washing back over me.

"They are dead. I don't…" My voice broke and I could already feel the tears. I could feel the hand on my hip caress me soothingly.

"You don't need to answer that." Dwayne's whisper was soft in my ear and his breath softly fanned across my exposed skin.

"I thought I told you to stay off the boardwalk." I nearly fell off the wooden horse when suddenly a security guard appeared behind Marko and Paul. The boys had a quick exchange of glances.

"Let's go boys." David commanded and the two blondes immediately followed suit. Before I could react Dwayne had rounded me and was setting me down on the ground. I gave him a small smile and let him help me down from the ride to stand next to his brothers.

"Why don't we take this party home. You're with us, Amy?" I shrugged. It was one thing to hang around with them here at the boardwalk. But going home with four guys I barely knew and everybody kept warning me about?

"Amy?" Once again I couldn't break away from his gaze and I heard myself agree against better knowledge.