Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost Boys or any of the characters. I only own my OC.

A/N: So I'm back :) Sorry for the long hiatus. Just got busy with my other stories. Currently my main focus is my Fresh 2022 story. That's on my AO3 account. If you want to read it my name on there is the same as here, Winchestergirl123. Warning, that story is dark and it's only going to get darker the further I write. But if you've seen the movie then you know how messed up it already is. I saw also wrote a one-shot for my story Effervescent and the pairing in that one-shot is Harley Quinn/Estelle Carter/Adrian Chase.

Anyways, here's a new chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to update but knowing me I make no promises ^.^

"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." ― Anais Nin

Chapter 7: Curiosity is all

It had been a cleaning day at Great Aunt Josephine's house. For the majority of the day Cheryl helped her great aunt tidy up.

Josephine wasn't a messy person per say. She did, however, have a lot of stuff. Especially in the living room. Many of her great aunt's knickknacks would collect dust. Hence why the house needed a good clean every now and then.

There would be so much dust that Cheryl would go into sneezing and coughing fit several times as she dusted and swept. Really, it was quite comical.

The teen couldn't even be annoyed. Every time she sneezed Josephine would pass by with her own broom, gently patting her head. She'd release a joyful laugh and say, "Oh! Someone's definitely thinking about you!"

According to her great aunt, if you sneezed three times in a row then someone was thinking about you.

Cheryl didn't really believe that but went along with it for the laughs.

Eventually the two finished cleaning. Cheryl didn't even realize it was already past eight until they were lounging in the backyard enjoying their grilled cheese sandwiches. It was a simple late dinner since the two of them were too tired to make anything else because of the cleaning they'd done.

Josephine's radio was on the table with the volume not too high but also not too low. Venus by Shocking Blue entertained them as they finished eating.

She's got it
Yeah baby, she's got it
Well, I'm your Venus
I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus
I'm your fire
At your desire

Josephine swallowed what was left of her grilled cheese sandwich. "I never tire of this song. I still remember when it came out."

Cheryl tilted her head at her great aunt. The teen knew the song came out years ago. 1969 to be exact. Her great aunt would have been in her fifties. So not so young, but younger than she was now.

"I know what you're thinking but let me tell you…." Josephine paused for dramatic effect, a gleeful smile growing. "You're only as old as you feel."

"I believe you because you don't look your age at all." Cheryl kindly told her.

Josephine appeared even younger at her comment. Her hazel eyes twinkled. "Just shows you what a stress free life does for you. Also, the flowers help."

Cheryl returned the smile. Of course the flowers helped.

The brunette took one last bite of her grilled cheese sandwich, savoring the taste. She was startled a bit at a soft meow she heard. The meow was followed by softness running between Cheryl's legs. She knew who it was before even laying eyes on the animal.

"Hi, Chester." Cheryl happily greeted the one-eyed orange tabby. "Fancy seeing you here." She giggled when Chester let out another meow. It was like he was saying hi back to her in the only way a cat could. The teen was about to pet him but she retracted her hand at the last second.

Chester's small head swiftly turned towards the opening of the backyard. His tail stood up, all fluffed with his back arched. His cute little ears flattened sideways, and his eyes one was fully dilated. He let out a loud hiss before scurrying off to God knows where. Anywhere from there apparently.

Josephine who saw all this gasped lightly. "Oh, dear. I've never seen him like that. How peculiar." She murmured. "I wonder what upset him so suddenly?"

Cheryl wondered the same thing. She looked in the direction that caught Chester's attention. She didn't see anything unusual. Her great aunt's backyard was spacious with her flower garden, various wind chimes, and even a small fountain.

"Maybe the beaver scared him off." The teen stared at the stuffed animal that was across from them. She wouldn't blame Chester if that's what scared him. Sometimes the beaver spooked her, even with how ridiculous it looked.

"Nonsense." Josephine exclaimed, gazing at the stuffed beaver that still wore the pink tutu she put on. "It's too cute to be scary."

"Right…" Cheryl drawled. She jumped a little at Josephine snapping her fingers.

"I just remembered we have to return those videotapes." The older woman let out a sigh. "Such a shame because I really liked that one movie a lot."

"Which one?" Cheryl questioned. Her great aunt reacted to both movies very well so she didn't know which one she was talking about. "An American Werewolf in London? Or Better Off Dead?"

"The one where the mom blew up." Josephine answered with an excited tone.

Cheryl stifled a giggle. Really it was funny how her great aunt couldn't tell the movies apart from the names. As if An American Werewolf in London had a scene with a mom blowing up after lighting a cigarette while eating dinner. "Ah, Better Off Dead."

"Yeah, I really enjoyed that one." Josephine answered merrily.

"It is funny." Cheryl agreed. "And I do like it but I have to say An American Werewolf in London is also good. Especially when it comes to dark comedy. Plus I just love werewolves."

A sound of something shattering interrupted their conversation. Cheryl frowned, becoming alert.

"What was that?"

Unlike Cheryl, Josephine wasn't as concerned. She lowered the volume on the radio. "Probably Chester, still running around somewhere. It sounded like a flower pot. Wouldn't be the first time he's bumped one out of the way."

Cheryl relaxed, remembering that with his one eye Chester did tend to bump into things more. And with how agitated he was now it made sense he would knock things over. The brunette looked at the night sky as a light breeze, unknown to her, carried her scent.

"Do you mind returning them? The videotapes."

Cheryl shook her head, moving her eyes towards her great aunt. "I don't mind." She really didn't because there was something she wanted to do while out on the boardwalk. "Is it okay if I stay for a bit?"

"Of course!" Josephine answered right away. "It's summer! Have fun. After a day of helping me clean you deserve to have some fun. Just be safe is all I ask."

Cheryl nodded her head. "I will." She smiled, taking both their plates inside into the kitchen.

The teen then went to her bedroom to make herself more presentable for a night out. She changed into a dark blue t-shirt and let her hair down out of the ponytail she put it in during cleaning. She decided on keeping her dark high-waisted jeans since they were clean enough and tucked in her shirt.

Before Cheryl left the house with the videotapes, she put on the coral pink lipstick she bought. The same one Star said looked pretty on her.

There was life on the Santa Carla Boardwalk.

Cheryl Rivers' felt the nightlife buzzing within her as she walked past groups of people. She, however, couldn't take everything around her as she usually did. After returning the videotapes back to Max she became a woman with a mission.

The sixteen year old was on the lookout for a certain dark brown curly haired beauty. Things had been tense the last time Cheryl saw Star. A group of bikers were the reason for that. Cheryl's concern for Star never went away. It remained, swirling around in her stomach.

Now that she was back on the boardwalk, Cheryl was determined to find Star. She wanted to talk to Star and try offering her help again. Hopefully she'd be able to track down Star on her own ask her that question. If Star said yes Cheryl would offer her hand and take her back to her great aunt's house for shelter. Her great aunt probably would be confused but for some reason Cheryl didn't see her as the type to turn someone away that needed a place to stay. Star would be safe with them.

But if Star said no, that she didn't need help, then Cheryl, as much as it pained her, would have to respect her decision. That didn't mean she would stop offering support though. She'd be there for Star, an open door in case one day she changed her mind. Cheryl wouldn't just abandoned her.

The blue eyed teen nearly stopped momentarily when she saw a guy getting a tarot card reading done. She watched with a soft expression. Since a young age Cheryl had found tarot cards to be fascinating. Her dad, who'd been more of a skeptic, always poked fun at her interest. Even though she wasn't a huge believer she thought it was fun, and honestly she wouldn't mind getting a reading for herself.

Except not right now.

Cheryl forced herself to look away to continue her mission. Her expression became one of determination. She made her way over to the area where Star and her had eaten their ice-cream. Her stomach did a twist when she didn't catch sight of long brown eyed teen. With a sigh she continued on.

Cheryl briefly saw the Frog brothers organizing comic books when passing the comic shop. She felt bad for not stopping by and saying hi despite knowing they wouldn't be as friendly with her in return. Once she found Star and mellowed out her anxiety for her friend, Cheryl would visit the brothers again. Their obsession over vampires hadn't been enough to drive her completely away. Plus she really wanted to buy some comics.

The sixteen year old eventually made her way back towards the carousel area. Still no sign of Star. Even with her comfortable sneakers her feet were beginning to hurt from all the walking she'd done without resting. Feeling defeated, Cheryl finally decided to sit down at an empty bench. A loud huff escaped her as she took a seat. She looked around one last time before lowering her head in frustration.

"Why are you so glum on a night like this?"

Cheryl gasped. "What the fu―" She swiftly turned to her right side, blue eyes wide from what she saw. Long curly blond hair, enchanting grey eyes, an unforgettable colorful jacket with patches all over, and last but not least a Cheshire grin.

Marko.

When did he take a seat next to her? And how hadn't she noticed?

"You…" Cheryl swallowed thickly, unable to say anything else at the moment. Her frozen state amused the blond curly haired boy.

Marko chuckled, putting his arm behind her back on the bench. "You what?"

His lighthearted tone of voice made Cheryl feel warmth in her belly, unfreezing her. She took a deep breath, her heartbeat calming down. She opened her mouth, only to be interrupted. This time she sensed movement when someone slid in on the other side of her.

"Hey Cherry!"

The brunette immediately recognized the wild blond that sat to the left of her. Like Marko, he'd been there the other night.

Cheryl's shock started to vanish once realizing she was stuck in the middle between the two male blonds. Although the wild blond's presence wasn't the one that was making her feel all warm inside. He also didn't have his arm behind her.

He was provoking something else from her. With bravery that she had no idea was even there, Cheryl turned to look at him with annoyance in her blue eyes. "My name's Cheryl. Not Cherry. Got it."

"I know that." The vibrant male answered with a bounce.

Cheryl thought he was trying to somewhat contain his energy. Not that it was really working. Bits of energy escaped and she saw him moving his head as if he were listening to a rock song. He had a lot of energy in him. She was still prickly over the nickname. "Then why'd you call me Cherry?" She questioned with a small frown.

The wild blond snickered. "Oh, you can take a guess on why I did that, toots."

Cheryl didn't need to think long before her face started to turn red. She lowered her eyes, embarrassed. How in the world could he have known that about her? Was it that because of her appearance? Did the way she dress scream virgin? Or was he just a good guesser? Maybe he was messing around, not really meaning it. Only now that he'd seen her reaction he knew he'd been right and that must have been funny to him.

It wasn't that she was embarrassed about being a virgin. Cheryl just didn't like him blurting something personal about her. Especially not in front of Marko. The curly blond haired boy didn't need to know that about her. That was way too personal.

Now he knew, and Cheryl wanted to hide under a rock like a starfish.

"Gotta excuse Paul here, sweetheart." Marko interjected with a laugh. "He tends to run his mouth without thinking things through."

The affectionate nickname she was called by Marko was not lost to Cheryl. She repeated the lively blond's name in her heard, hoping that would calm her heart. Paul. Cheryl found the name fitting for someone as zestful as him. She felt movement behind her and knew Marko must have reached over to push Paul's shoulder. She heard Paul release a laugh that mixed with Marko's.

As she focused on Marko's laugh, Cheryl felt her blush go down her neck. She had no idea that not only did Marko see the blush but he smelt the blood that was beneath the smooth surface of her skin.

When Marko spoke again his voice was low and teasing. "So you looked like you were on the prowl."

Pushing away her embarrassment, Cheryl lifted her head. She didn't care if she was a blushing mess. That didn't stop her from staring at Marko. "Excuse me?"

"What? Just pointing out that you looked like you were trying to find someone." Marko bit his thumbnail before letting go to chuckle. "It's cute."

How was trying to find someone cute? Cheryl momentarily forgot that thought, too busy staring into Marko's grey eyes. She got a hold of herself by breathing through her nose. "Oh…I am." She frowned, seeing something unreadable flicker in those enticing eyes of his.

Marko clicked his tongue. "Let me guess….Star."

Cheryl's face lit up at him mentioning Star's name. "Do you guys know where she is?"

Marko and Paul discreetly looked at each other, silently communicating. "If I tell you, what do I get in return?" The blond curly haired boy showed his iconic Cheshire grin.

Cheryl's awkwardness showed on her face as she answered. "Uh…a thank you?"

Marko's grey eyes gleamed. "You're gonna have to throw something else in there. Make it a sweeter deal."

"Sweeter?" Cheryl asked, her timidness showing. What exactly did he mean by that? And why, despite being nervous, wasn't she scared? She didn't know this guy yet her heart raced for an entirely different reason.

Marko grinned at her. "Go on a ride with me."

Cheryl's face instantly hardened. "I'm not getting on your bike." She'd never been on a motorbike and she didn't plan to.

"I didn't mean my bike. At least not right now." Marko winked at her and he felt satisfaction at seeing the stiffness in her expression falter. "I meant an actual ride on the boardwalk."

Cheryl subconsciously bit her bottom lip in thought. "Really?"

"Unless you're scared." Paul sing-songed from the other side of her.

Cheryl had been so focused on Marko that Paul's voice made her jump a little. She thankfully got it together to wrinkle her nose at him. "I'm not scared."

"You sure about that, toots?" Paul continued his teasing.

"Unless you enjoy being scared. Are you a masochist?" Marko asked with a twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes.

"What?" Cheryl squeaked. There go her cheeks, turning red as apples. "Why would you ask that?"

"Curiosity is all." Marko answered with a tone she'd say was a flirty one. "So, are you gonna go on a ride with me?"

Saying no would have made sense. It would have been the smart thing to do. Cheryl should have told Marko to take a hike and to leave her the hell alone. There was the possibility that he also might have been bluffing about knowing where Star was.

The pain coming from her feet was a reminder that Cheryl failed at trying to find Star. Her concern was there, swirling and growing every second Star wasn't in front of her. She knew none of that would go away until she knew for sure the dark curly haired beauty was fine.

So Cheryl kept telling herself that was the only reason why she'd agree to Marko's request. She was worried for her friend. It had nothing to do with the warmth and fascination he might have sparked in her.

Cheryl didn't break eye contact with Marko as she spoke steadily. "If I do, will you take me to Star afterwards?"

Marko was quiet, tilting his head at her. His grey eyes took her all in. For a moment it really did feel like it was just the two of them until Paul raised his thumbs up from behind Cheryl's head. The blond curly haired boy had to bite his thumbnail to stop from laughing. He spoke through his amusement, doing his best to sound sincere.

"I will."

The way he took a moment to compose himself should have been a red flag for Cheryl. Except the way his words came out so smoothly from his mouth was enough to convince Cheryl. She relented, her body still flushed. "Which ride then?"

Marko and Paul shared smirks with each other before looking at her.

"The Giant Dipper."

The pounding of Cheryl's heart against her chest was the best kind of music to Marko's ears. It was a sound he would come to miss once she became like him. He still had time to enjoy it...and enjoy it he most certainly will.