A/N: I hope you enjoy this one. Gives us a little more insight. Once again, updates will be a bit sporadic as, much like my John Wick fic, it's something I'm working on in between my bigger fics. Regardless, I hope you like it. This is also posted on ao3 and tumble. Find me at 'asirensrage' on Tumblr for mood boards, a playlist etc...

Chapter 1: Talk Dirty to Me

The weirdest thing about working in a thrift store was that the clothes that came in probably belonged to the dead. Also, she was pretty sure it was haunted. Which wasn't too surprising, all things considered, but it was still unnerving to think about.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

She looked up at Clark. The kid was in his early teens and testing out rebellion with bright green hair. It was tame compared to others on the boardwalk.

She grinned. "I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind," she sang lightly. He blinked at her and she shrugged. "Give it a few years. You'll see."

"Okay…" he dragged out, looking at her in confusion. It wasn't the first time she got that look. She turned back to the shirts she was repricing. "Got any tips?"

She glanced at him before looking up at the ceiling, thinking. She gave tips that were fairly harmless to people she liked.

"Hmm...how old are you again?"

"Fourteen."

"Join a boy band." His face scrunched up in disgust and she burst out laughing. "Trust me, it'd be worth it."

"You're so warped."

"Yup," she said, popping the p as she grinned. "What's new with you?"

"Nothin'," he slumped down against the counter. She waited. There was no harm in letting him hang out. It kept him out of trouble. The store was quiet in the afternoon hours. "The Surf Nazis are being assholes again."

She narrowed her eyes. "What'd they do?"

"Nothing I can't handle!" he protested.

She watched him for a second but nodded. "Alright," she finally said. "But if they give you any more trouble, let me know." His nose scrunched up at the thought of being saved by a girl and she couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry. Give it a couple of years and they'll be irrelevant."

"Yeah? How do you know?" He looked skeptical. She couldn't blame him. It wasn't like she could tell him the truth.

"People like that always are."

"Huh." He wandered the aisles before he left without a word. She didn't protest. It was his only vice.

She turned back to the clothes on the desk. The store was still quiet and the repetitive motion of repricing gave her time to think. The town she ended up in was perfect for a girl out of time. It was constantly in motion, filled with people travelling or running from something. The unexpected and unexplained arrival of someone without anything to their name didn't raise any eyebrows. The only weird thing was all the missing people...and the possible haunting of the store.

"Hey! Darcy!"

She looked up at the sound of her name. It wasn't her real name, which she kept secret, but something she stole off of a favourite character from a movie. It fit well. A new name for a new girl. She smiled at the sight of the bubbly woman walking towards her.

"Frankie," she greeted. "How's it going?"

Frankie smiled as she reached the counter. She wore high-waisted faded jeans and a bright pink top that hung off of one shoulder. Eighties fashion never failed to surprise her.

"Fantabulous!" Frankie grinned. "I got into UCLA!"

"Congrats!" Darcy leaned over the counter to give the other woman a hug which was enthusiastically returned.

"Thanks! It'll be a while before I go, but I'm so glad to get out of here!" Frankie paused and gave her a once over. "What are you wearing?"

She looked down at her outfit. It was a fifties style red dress with black polka dots that had a tight halter top before flaring out at the waist. It had been a lucky find in this place. Darcy's hair was currently a bright aquamarine and pulled back at the side with a pin curl in the front to keep it out of her face. It had to match the dress, after all. The problem with the rockabilly style was that it wasn't even a thing yet, not like it was back home. She stuck out like a sore thumb.

She grinned at Frankie. "Like it?"

"Well, it works for you," she admitted slowly. "But it's very joanie." It took a second to figure out what she was saying. Thankfully, she clarified. "You look like a housewife."

"Yeah," Darcy nodded. "A housewife with good taste in music."

"I'm sure," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Are you coming to the boardwalk tonight? It's going to be rad."

"Who's playing?" The only way the Boardwalk would be rad was if there was a band playing.

"Some new band called Poison. I hear they're totally righteous."

Darcy looked at her in surprise. Poison? She wasn't a huge fan but she knew some of their music back when they were considered classic rock. They must just be coming onto the scene. She couldn't miss it. "I'm in," she said.

"Awesome," Frankie grinned. "Meet me at the boardwalk tonight, by the funnel cakes. We'll go together, 'k?" Darcy nodded as Frankie headed for the door. "Later!" She walked out, singing some Madonna song.

Darcy sighed and turned back to the clothes. The eighties were weird.

The Boardwalk was crowded as usual. Despite the high amount of missing people, it didn't stop anyone from showing up to this place. She also stood out in her dress, even with the neon clothes and multicoloured hair of the people around her.

"Ah ow!" she heard someone catcall as she walked past the tile-a-whirl. "Come on, baby, you have me sprung!" She rolled her eyes at the wannabe punks and kept going. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. Boys were boys no matter what decade.

She found Frankie exactly where she said she would be but she wasn't alone. Next to her was a guy with long, wild blond hair and possibly the tightest pants I had seen so far. He looked like he belonged on stage. As she moved closer, she recognized him. Part of one of the gangs she had been warned about when she first arrived. What was the name again? Something to do with Peter Pan.

"Darcy!" Frankie called out, waving an arm to greet her. The biker turned to look at her and she saw his eyes widen.

"Woah girl, where'd you come from?"

"Time travelled, obviously," she snarked back automatically. Tell the truth in the right way and no one believed you.

He just laughed. "The guys will get a kick out of you!"

"How nice," she said dryly. She looked over at Frankie to see her pressed up against the man, her arm wrapped around his waist. It was odd, considering Frankie had just recently broken up with her ex from what Darcy remembered. Though, maybe she was rebounding. "I'm going to grab a good spot. You coming?"

"Yeah," Frankie nodded. "But, like, Paul wanted to wait for his brothers." She assumed Paul was the blond biker.

"I'm gonna go ahead then," Darcy said, motioning over her shoulder with her thumb. Paul was watching her carefully, and there was something about it that made the hair on Darcy's arms stand up. She fought the urge to shiver. She was used to being stared at but this was different. "I don't want to miss any of it."

"But we're supposed to go together!" Frankie protested.

Darcy raised an eyebrow at her. "Franks, look at me. You'll be able to find me by my hair alone, if not the dress." That made the laugh and Paul smacked his hand against his thigh as he nodded.

"I guess."

"Why you gotta motor, babe?" Paul asked, pulling out what looked like a joint from a pocket on his blazer.

Darcy grinned at him. "Trust me, you won't want to miss this." She turned away, heading for the stage and ignoring the sound of Frankie's giggling.

"Hello, Santa Carla!"

The crowd around the stage screamed back. It was packed. It wasn't the band that had drawn the crowd but the promise of being able to let loose and have fun. The whole town seemed to run on people wanting some sort of release or refuge.

She stood close to the stage but up on an incline at the side. She didn't want to get pulled into the mosh pit she knew would develop. It wasn't her first concert here and she already knew what type of music was going to play. The heat of the crowd would have been unbearable if they weren't next to the ocean or if the sun was still out. She learned that the hard way.

After she had gotten pulled back into time, and survived the subsequent panic attack that came with the realization, she took advantage of her knowledge. Part of that included going to concerts for bands that were gone in her time. She used to be afraid of going to places alone. Now she had no choice, not if she didn't want to miss the opportunities she dug out in this miss. It had been worth it. The knowledge that she was catching something that would soon be obsolete was astounding and a bit sad, if she was honest with herself. A reminder of what she had lost in light of the supposed miracle.

She didn't know the first song. That didn't stop her from grinning and cheering with the crowd though. She didn't even see Frankie until the girl appeared next to her. She looked as upbeat as usual. Paul was on Frankie's other side and Darcy followed his gaze when he looked behind them. The crowd seemed to part as three men headed in our direction. The other bikers.

Paul moved to step in between the girls and wrapped an arm around their shoulders, turning them to greet his supposed brothers. Darcy tried to quell the urge to shrug him off and instead focused on the other men. Two of them were sporting mullets. She tried not to roll her eyes. Her opinion on mullets was overruled by the era. Their gazes were intense, almost predatory as they stared back and she tried not to bare her teeth back at them just because she could. Though if they said she should smile, all bets were off.

"These are my brothers!" Paul yelled over the music. "This is Darcy," he nodded towards her as he dragged out her name. "She's a time traveller!"

This time she did roll her eyes and finally pushed Paul off of her. He just laughed. She looked over at the men who were still watching. One of them nodded a greeting, not bothering to attempt to be heard over the music. She nodded back and met his eyes. It felt as though the music was starting to fade around them. There was a screech of feedback and she broke eye contact, turning back to face the band. It felt like she had just spaced out in the middle of a concert. She ignored the feeling telling her to face them and tried to lose herself back into the music.

"This one's a new one! Just for you!" The singer called out. Everyone cheered. The first couple of notes were familiar and she couldn't stop her grin once she realized what they were playing. She could see Paul headbanging out of the corner of her eye with one of the other bikers. She nodded to the beat, trying to resist the urge to sway her hips to it. She didn't need more attention.

"But I like it! And I know you like it too! The way I want you." She lost the battle with herself. She swayed side to side, singing along. She couldn't resist. "At the drive-in...in the old man's ford. Behind the bushes, till I'm screaming for more. Down the basement, lock the cellar door and baby...talk dirty to me." She cheered again, as loud as she could. It was one of their go-to songs for dancing and singing karaoke with her friends back home. A pang of longing struck through her and she tried to shove it back, focusing on the music.

She looked over at Frankie. She was laughing as she was twirled around by Paul. Darcy smiled softly at the sight. She hadn't known Frankie too long but she liked the girl. A familiar feeling prickled at the back of her neck and she turned to look to see who was staring at her. The biker with the bleached blonde mullet was watching her intently as he smoked a cigarette. She turned away. It wasn't the first time she had been stared at.

The concert was over far too quickly. She stumbled out of the crowd next to Frankie. The bikers were following behind us.

"That was bitchin'!" Frankie said before laughing. Darcy looked at her in surprise. As far as she knew, Frankie didn't swear. "How'd you know the songs?"

"Yeah girl," Paul said as he stepped up to wrap an arm around Frankie's shoulders. "Saw you singing along. We all did." He motioned to the others.

Fuck. "I told you," she teased. Despite the predatory gleam that was still in his eyes, he seemed playful enough. "I'm a time traveller." He laughed loudly and she couldn't help but chuckle along.

"No, really," Frankie persisted. "How?"

Darcy sighed. Luckily, she had thought up excuses before. She had been to a few concerts already. "I've seen them before, out in L.A."

"You're from L.A?" a deep voice asked. She wasn't sure which one of the other bikers it was.

"No," she replied. "I just like to travel to concerts in the area."

"Ohh," Frankie's eyes went wide. "She loves going to shows. It's very choice." She nodded to the others, showcasing her approval.

"So where you from?" One of the others asked. He looked younger, though it might have just been because of the ridiculous hair. Short curls in the front gave way to longer ones in the back. The second mullet of the group. He couldn't have been that young though since he was a part of the gang. Then again, how many movies had she seen that showcased kids getting involved in gangs too young.

Something in her urged her to tell the truth. The lights seemed to fade around them and for a moment all she could focus on were the men in front of her. Where you from? She bit the inside of her cheek hard, trying to focus.

She widened her eyes and smiled. "The future," she teased again. She rarely gave out her hometown. The less people knew about her, the better. She still had no idea how she got here or if the ground was going to be swept out from under her again, hopefully taking her home instead of further back. The men were too curious though. She could tell they wanted to press as they glanced at each other. She looked over at Frankie. "I'm gonna go. You going to be okay?" Despite knowing that she should stay by the girl's side, make sure she got home, self-preservation was winning out.

"Yeah," Frankie smiled before looking concerned. "You sure? Paul says he knows a party that's gonna be dyno." Dynamite. That meant cool.

"Come on, Darcy," the curly one said. "It's to die for." The others laughed and for a moment, it almost sounded like it echoed. The creeping feeling up the back of her spine, the same one that warned her that she was being followed at night on the city streets, was back. She should go. Have fun and relax.

She scraped her teeth over the wound she made on the inside of her cheek. She could taste blood. She tried not to make a face at it.

She ignored the men, focusing on Frankie. "I got work in the morning." It wasn't a lie. "Stop by tomorrow, okay?" It was a less than subtle way of ensuring that the men would know she would be missed and that Darcy would be looking for her. Just in case. Judging from the smirks on the mens' faces, they knew exactly what she meant.

"Totally," Frankie agreed.

"Cool." She looked around at the men that had surrounded them. When had they even moved? A glance back showed that Frankie was officially distracted now that she was making out with Paul. She didn't feel entirely too comfortable with leaving Frankie with the men, but she needed to leave. The less interested people were in her, the better. Frankie was old enough to take care of herself, wasn't she? "Nice to meet you," she lied.

"I'm sure we'll see you around," the bleached blond said. It sounded like a promise.

"Sure," she said non-committedly. After a final goodbye to Frankie who didn't respond, she pushed her way past the one with the curls. She could feel their stares on her back. Regret bubbled in her stomach at the action, but she kept walking. She wasn't sure if it was at the fact she was ditching the proposed party or just leaving Frankie. It would be fine. She wasn't even supposed to be here anyway.

[tbc]