*Disclaimer - The characters\back storyline in this story belong to Orson Scott Card who wrote the book "The Lost Boys" and Joel Schumacher who directed "The Lost Boys" Movie. I only own the storyline to this story and any original characters I decide to add.*

Chapter 9

She could not believe she was bribing the kid with cotton candy. She disliked this stuff a lot. It was sugar on a stick.

Maya took a deep breath before turning to face the little half vampire. "Do you remember what you are supposed to do Laddie?"

The little boy nodded his head "Act like I'm lost you. Go to the boy with the weird jacket and ask him for help"

Maya nodded her head "and if the frog brothers mess with you act like they scare you."

Maya grabbed Laddie's hand and the two started walking through the humans that filled the boardwalk. They reached Frog's Comics when they saw Sam enter.

Maya squeezed Laddie's hand before releasing it and pushing him forward.

Laddie walked into the comic store and started looking around. Dwayne said to stay away from the frogs but David and Maya said he had to go in there for Sam.

Laddie spotted the older boy looking at a comic with batman on it. Laddie closed his eyes and thought about his mother's death. Slowly tears fell down his face. He walked over and pulled on Sam's sleeve.

Sam was annoyed at the Frog Bothers. They kept bothering him about how vampires roamed the boardwalk and trying to push that horror comic on him. So far he had only glanced at the comics before dumping them into the box by his head. He didn't like horror comics.

Sam started focusing on Batman fighting The Joker when someone pulled on his sleeve. He glanced down to see a boy about 7 or 8 years old. The kid was kinda dirty as there were tear trails running down his face. "I can't find my sister. Can you help me find my sister? Please I want my sister?"

Laddie reached up and ran his hand over his eyes. He could see the soft look on Sam's eyes.

Sam placed the comic down and turned toward the kid. "Come on I'll help you find your sister. My name's Sam. What's your name?"

"Laddie"

Sam smiled "Well come on Laddie. Let's go find your sister."

Sam took Laddie's hand and started to leave the store with Laddie when the frog brothers jumped in front of them.

Edgar snarled "It's one of them bloodsuckers. Get out of the way Sam. We have to stake it right through the heart"

Laddie's eyes opened wide and he grabbed onto Sam hiding behind him "L…Leave me..e…alone."

Alan frowned and raised the water gun filled with holy water toward the boy. "only good bloodsucker is a dead one."

Sam looked at both of them as if they had gone crazy "ARE YOU GUYS NUTS? HE'S JUST A KID"

Edgar frowned "He's a bloodsucking vampire. We've seen all of them together."

Alan raised the gun and squirted Laddie in the face "Take that bloodsucker"

Laddie started crying when the water hit his face. It didn't hurt him but he hated water in his eyes.

Edgar and Alan frowned when nothing happened to the boy. He should have screamed in agony or something.

Sam growled "YOU GUYS ARE NUTS? HE'S AS MUCH A VAMPIRE AS I AM"

Edgar and Alan turned to look at Sam tilting their heads

Sam took a step back shaking his head. 'These guys are nuts'

"Look we are leaving and you guys are going to back off" Sam stated

Suddenly a brown haired girl ran into the store "LADDIE THERE YOU ARE?"

Maya dropped down onto her knees and grabbed his shoulders "Do you know how worried I've been? Santa Carla is dangerous. Do you not see all the missing posters? Little Brother I don't want to have to put posters up if you go missing." Maya pulled Laddie toward her and hugged him.

Sam watched the girl as she hugged Laddie. She was absolutely beautiful. Her brown hair seemed to shine and her makeup was light and seemed to make her eyes pop. She pulled away from Laddie and stood up. She turned to look at Sam and, the minute she smiled, everything faded around Sam.

Maya Smiled at the boy. He was clearly dazed by her. "Hi. I'm Maya. Thank you for finding my little brother. He means the world to me. I don't know what I would have done if something would have happened to him"

Sam smiled "sure…um…I mean you're welcome. Glad I could help."

Maya took Laddie's hand and started to walk out of the comic book shop. She stopped at the exit and turned to glance at Sam "We're going to get some ice cream….if you'd like to join us"

Sam's eyes shot open. He could not believe this was happening to him. "yeah…yeah I'd like that"

Edgar and Alan stepped in front of Sam "Get lost bloodsucker. We don't want your kind here."

Maya glanced at the frog brothers than at Sam "My kind?!"

Edgar frowned "you know what we mean Vampire!"

Maya faked a look of confusion "Vampire?" 'This is not good. If they think I'm a vampire than they are too close to the truth. I will have to tell David'

"Have you guys been sniffing old ink cartridges again?" She slowly backed Laddie up before turning to Sam "are you coming Sam or are going to hang out with them?"

She moved her eyes from Sam to the Frogs than back.

Sam pushed through the Frog Brothers "you. These guys are weird"

Sam followed Maya and Laddie out of the comic store not looking back.

As they were walking Maya could feel Sam's eyes on her.

She turned toward him "Sorry about that back there. The frog brothers have always been that way."

Sam frowned "Why are they that way?"

Maya made a sad face appear "You saw their parents' right?"

Sam nodded

"Their parents do drugs and the brothers experiment with it too. There's also the fact that Edgar, the older brother, wanted to date me but he kept making me go through all these tests to see if I was a vampire. It just got too much and I dumped him."

Sam nodded again. It made since why the boys were so hard on her and her brother.

The two teens and child ordered their ice cream taking it outside to one of the covered tables.

Maya let Sam take a few bites of his strawberry ice cream "Soooo, how are you liking Santa Carla?"

Sam glanced up at her and smiled. "Better now."

She smiled at him. "I'm glad."

They both suddenly laughed at Laddie. He had chocolate all over his face. Maya grabbed some rags and whipped his face.

"Sam"

Both teens glanced up as Lucy walked up to them.

Sam smiled "Hey mom"

Lucy smiled at Maya "Hi. Who's this?"

Sam gestured to Maya "Mom this is Maya and her brother Laddie"

Maya smiled "Hello. It's very nice to meet you." She held her hand out to shake the woman's hand

Lucy smiled and took the girl's hand. "Hello it's very nice to meet you too. Honey, It's time to head home. Sweetheart, Do you and your brother need a ride?"

Maya smiled again "Thank you ma'am but our older brothers are going to pick us up in a few minutes."

Lucy smiled "ok. Sam I'll Meet you at the car honey"

Lucy turned and walked away 'what a sweet girl'

Maya turned to Sam "your mom's nice"

Sam smiled while scratching his head. "Thanks. She's pretty cool for a mom"

The three kids stood up and dumped their trash into the dumpster.

Maya and Laddie walked Sam to where his mom had parked her car right behind Max's Videos.

Maya reached out and touched Sam's shoulder "Sam, be careful around the Frog Brothers. I'm sure they are good guys but they have hurt people who they thought were movie monsters. I don't want to see you hurt."

Sam nodded his head before joining him mom in the car.

Maya watched the car drive away before turning to lead Laddie back to the Boardwalk.

She glanced over to Max's Videos to see Max watching her with a smile.

'How is it going with Sam?' Max asked.

'I'm working on it. He distrusts the frog brothers after they squirted Laddie with a squirt gun filled with HOLY WATER. Max they know what we are. They accused me of being a vampire in front of Sam" Maya stated

Maya replayed the whole conversation to Max

'I know how you feel about the shop owners of Santa Carla but if they are willing to scream this stuff on the boardwalk what's stopping them from trying to hunt us? Please let the boys take care of this. David will make it look like an accident. Everyone knows the parents are high 24/7. Accidents happen when drugs are involved" Maya begged.

"I will take your fear into concern. Keep up the good work on Sam."

Max turned away from the window to help a customer

Maya sighed. It was so difficult dealing with Max. She hoped this plan of his worked. Maybe then he would be happy and leave the boys alone.

Maya and Laddie sat down at a booth to wait for the boys to come get them.

It was 4:45 when David and Dwayne showed up.

The two youngest members climbed behind the two vampires.

David glanced at Maya 'how did it go?'

Maya rolled her eyes before everything that happened in her mind to the two vampires with Paul and Marko listening in.

All four hissed at Max's orders regarding the frog brothers. They all hoped that getting Lucy to change would make Max chill. He was driving all of them nuts.

The four were soon joined by Paul and Marko. The bikes sped over the sand before slowing as a glow of a bonfire appeared.

Dwayne and Marko slipped off their jackets. Dwayne made a bed for Laddie telling him to get some sleep.

The five vampires walked over the hill and watched the Surf Nazi's partying. If there was one way to get rid of their frustration it was feeding.

David gave the signal and all of them zoomed down on their food. It was by far the bloodiest meal they had ever had. Their clothes were stained and would need to be replaced.

They washed off in the ocean before heading back to the bikes. It was time for them to get back to the cave. The sun would be up soon. There was nothing more they could do tonight.