ArchadianRose- Thank you so much for the review! The boys are introduced in this chapter, hope I do them justice ;) . Sorry, they come in briefly at the end, without really any description of their personality, but I promise, MUCH more in the next chapter. In fact, during some points of the story, it will be in one of their POV. xx
Nightcrawlerlover- Thanks for reviewing, and thank you for your kind words [: . xx
Peya Luna- Thanks for the review! Yeah, I saw it was a bit slow, but I wanted there to be a bit of backstory, thanks for the constuctive crit. though! And thanks a lot, I wanted to be sure I didn't have an M. Sue, too many of those around, you know? ;]. Hopefully she'l produce some surprises. Thanks for the kind words. xx
A/N- Sorry if the beginning of this chapter is a bit slow, then with them at the boardwalk for the first time is rushed. I know I don't have a flawless writing style, and I'm working on that. This tends to happen in my stories. I PROMISE, in the next chapter or two, things wil get more evened out and fast paced, I just don't want to rush things to make them seem unrealistic. At the same time, I don't want to bore you all. Like I am now -.-. Anyway, onwards!
Sam awoke the next morning with a start. She looked out of the window next to her dresser on the other side of the room, and caught a peek at the sun shining in through the holes of the lace curtains. She got out of bed, fully rested after her very early night, walked slowly over to the curtains, and drew them open. The sun shot through the window like a beautiful shotgun, lighting up her entire room. She smiled gently as the warmth poured over her face.
After resting the curtains away from the window, Sam glanced at her watch. It was 10:49. She walked over to her drawers, removed her night-shirt, and slipped on a tank top with a Pink Floyd shirt above it, with cut sleeves hanging off the shoulders. She loved bands like Pink Floyd and Metallica, music always seemed to put her mind at ease and let her escape from the world for a while. She slipped on a leather jacket over it, rolling up the sleeves to her elbows. It was a difficult task, considering the bulky cast covering her right forearm, but she managed. She looked for bottoms before pulling on a pair of cutoff jean shorts. She stepped into a pair of slightly-worn ballet flats, and placed a pair of aviators on top of her head as well, knowing she wanted to go out today. She walked into her bathroom, brushing her teeth and her hair, before walking out of her new room. Despite this now being her permanent living situation, she still felt like she was just on some vacation.
As soon as Sam opened the door, the smell of bacon wafted gracefully into her nostrils, almost making her drool. She realized suddenly that she hadn't eaten since the previous morning, and she was starving. She lengthened the strides of her walk as she got closer to the kitchen. Just as she turned into the room, she remembered that her mom was making dinner last night, and she completely missed it. The woman in front of the stove turned her head to look behind her, somehow hearing Sam's quiet approach. She smiled.
"Hello, sweetie! Breakfast is almost ready!" She exclaimed.
"I'm so sorry about missing dinner last night, I guess I was more tired than I thought," Sam said, looking down.
"Don't even worry about it! There are some leftovers in the fridge, pasta with meatballs. You can have it some other time, if you'd like."
Sam furrowed her eyebrows, confused. Why wasn't her mother mad about her missing dinner? Whenever Dad (or one of Dad's many girlfriends) made a meal and Sam missed it, she was in for a big punishment. And surely it was deserved... they spent all that time on the meal for some useless piece of skin to be arrogant and miss it.
"Oh, uh... okay. Thanks," she said, still confused. Her mother nodded, picking up three pieces of crisp bacon, sliding them onto a plate next to some scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast with butter. She picked up the delicious-smelling meal and slid it onto the grey counter. Sam stepped up onto the wooden stool and dug into her eggs.
In about ten minutes, Sam finished her meal. She said a quick thank you, walking over to the sink and washing off her plate.
"Where do the plates go?" She asked. Her mother looked up, now eating her own breakfast.
"Right in that cabinet over there," she said, mouth half full, pointing at a wooden cabinet to the right of the sink.
"Thanks," Sam said.
"Hey, do you want to go on the boardwalk with me? I'm done with my breakfast," her mother stated, wiping a few crumbs off her face. She walked over and put the plate in the sink, planning on washing it later.
"Okay, yeah, sounds good," Sam said. Truth was, she had been excited about going to the boardwalk since the first time she saw it, so she was glad her mom mentioned something. Just then, she looked at the older, smiling woman. She had no makeup on, but still managed a beautiful glow. She was obviously a grown hippie, wearing a long, light blue skirt, which was complimented by a white tank top with light blue and green beads along the collar. She smiled at her mother's beaming face. Just as it was last night, her mom's smile seemed to infect her with a bit of brief happiness.
"Alright," her mom said, picking up her small purse. "You need anything, sweetie?"
Sam shook her head slightly. With that, her mother led her out the front door and they started their five-minute journey down to the boardwalk. Sam slipped her aviators from her head to her eyes as her mother started to speak.
"So, you're going into your last year of school this September, right?" her mom asked.
"Yep. What high school is it going to be?" Sam replied. She had forgotten about her education completely before her mother brought it up.
"Santa Carla High School. It's about 15 minutes from here by car." Her mother pointed in the direction opposite what they were walking.
"Oh, okay," Sam said simply.
"Anything you want to look at specifically down at the boardwalk?" Her mom asked. Sam blushed a little.
"Well, um, are there, uh, any, like, motorcycle shops or anything?" She asked, stuttering a little bit. Her mom looked taken aback.
"Motorcycles? You ride?" She asked. Sam nodded, and her mom laughed.
"Don't worry about it, there's no need to be embarrassed, girl's can ride too," she said with a wink. Sam breathed in relief, she thought her mom would go off about how it's not lady-like, how her father would.
"I think there is one place that might have something you'd like!" Her mom stated enthusiastically. "In fact, I think it's one of the first places we'll come across at the boardwalk. That'll be our first stop," she said.
"Okay," Sam said, excited. She didn't think there would be a store like that, but now she couldn't wait. Riding was one of her favorite things in the world. Her dad found out that she spent her money on a bike a few weeks before the car crash, and he sold it to a store. He wouldn't tell Sam what store it was, though, knowing she would have gone back and bought it back.
They finally approached the boardwalk, and Sam couldn't wait to investigate. She now knew how much better Santa Carla was than Carson City. Already she could tell it was more interesting. Her mom told her, on the way to her house for the first time, that there were strange people here, people you wouldn't usually meet other places. Everyone seemed unique, there were different things to see everyday, and you never got bored. It sounde like Sam's kind of place: somewhere that's interesting enough to distract her from her thoughts.
They stepped up onto the boardwalk using a couple of small wooden steps that gave the access to the area from the side. As they stepped onto the boardwalk, the place was bustling with movement. All the shops were open, with at least two or three people in each one, scoping out their next purchase or just browsing. Noises seemed to echo off the air and intertwine with one another, whether it be the peoples' conversations and laughter, beeps and buzzes from inside the nearby arcade, screaming coming from the roller coaster at the nearby amusement park, music from inside a record store, or anything else that this diverse place had to offer. Sam flashed her crooked grin for a moment, taking in the diverse sights, smells, and sounds of the area. People were everywhere, whether they were pushing through the crowd to their destination, just wandering around, or standing around, leaning against a wall or railing, analyzing the happenings around them.
"Oh, look, the shop is right over there," her mother stated enthusiastically, drawing Sam from her thoughts. She looked over to where her mom was pointing: there was a small shop a few stores down, with a large red Yamaha out front. Sam beamed; she wanted, more than anything right now, to be on a bike, blazing down the street, not a care in the world. At least not for the moment. Her mother laughed at Sam's bright face.
"Let's go, I can tell that you can't wait any longer!" She teased, playfully nudging Sam in the direction of the store. They walked the short distance quickly, turning the corner into the store.
Sam loved what she saw. Bikes everywhere, even if it was a little smaller than the shop at home. Home. It wasn't her home anymore, and every second Sam spent here, she wondered more and more how she could have thought of Carson City as her home. Before she had a chance to really take everything in, the clerk walked up to her. He was a big man, about 6 ft. and muscular, looked like he was in his mid-late forties, and he sported a jet black mullet and a big mustache. He wore a Harley-Davidson, ripped up tank top, with a leather vest over it. His equally-ripped up jeans had oil smudges all over them.
"You ladies looking for anything in specific?" When the girl and the woman shook their heads, he continued on. "We are the only bike shop on the boardwalk! Hopefully you'll find something nice for your husband, boyfriend, or son," he said, smiling. Sam's mom was about to say something, probably about how it wasn't for a man, but for Sam, but her daughter spoke up.
"Okay, thank you!" She said, pasting on a fake smile. He nodded back and walked away as Sam rolled her eyes. Just then, in the corner of the store, she spotted it. It was the exact model, color, everything as the one she used to have at home. Almost as if there was a magnetic attraction, she felt herself being pulled to it. More than happy, she obliged with the pull, walking over to it immediately. Her mom followed her.
"This one," she said simply. She then blushed, not meaning to sound so rude. She knew it sounded like she expected her mother to get it for her right there.
"I mean, I like this one, the same one I had back in Nevada before Dad took it away..." she trailed off. She couldn't keep her eyes off the bike. It wasn't the most fabulous or expensive thing there was, but it was the best thing in the world in Sam's eyes.
It was a light red Suzuki GSX 1100 ES, apparently used, but it looked like it was new condition. She smiled, running a hand over its exterior, over the texture of its frame. She was in heaven. She didn't notice her mom motion over the salesman. She heard someone walk up behind them, and she turned around, noticing the burly man right behind her.
"We'll buy it," her mother stated firmly.
Sam nearly choked on air. Was her mother serious?
"Wha- no, no, I can't let you do tha-" her mother cut her off.
"Nonsense. I have a bit saved away, and I think this is the perfect homecoming present for you!" She smiled. She went into her wallet, and, shockingly, had quite a good amount. Even more than was needed for the bike. She forked out the money and handed it to the salesman.
"Thank you, ladies. She's nice, huh? A good, trusty Suzuki, you can't go wrong. Tell him to treat 'er well, ya hear?" He smiled and and walked over to the counter. "Just sign a few things here, I'll give you the keys, and you'll be on your way."
In 15 minutes, Sam still absolutely breathless that her mother would get her THIS, they were on the way out with her new present.
"Hey, why don't you go drop this at home?" Her mom asked, a mischievious look in her eyes. "You can drive it. I'll wait here. Go ahead and put it in the garage, there's some extra space." Sam didn't need to be asked twice. She swung her leg over the seat and situated herself. She drove extremely slowly off the boardwalk so not to run over anyone, then she was off. And it was the best moment she had since she could remember.
Sam and her mother walked around for about 6 more hours before heading home. Sam was in an amazing mood now, she couldn't stop thanking her mother for the priceless gift she had just received. Her mom kept brushing it off, saying it wasn't a huge deal, it was the least she could do.
They spent the rest of their time talking, laughing, opening up to each other. Sam knew she had been reserved when she first got here, but something about her mother made her get a bit distracted from her distressed thoughts, no matter how briefly, and that made Sam all the more pleased with her current situation. Even through all of this, though, she couldn't shake her inner-most feeling of lonliness. She knew no one could even know her secrets of what happened in her old "home". She tried to force them as deep into her mind as possible, attempting to focus on the here and now.
Finally, they could feel their legs turning into jelly, and their heels hurt, so they decided to go get some dinner then go home. They stopped at a small burger place, both ordering cheesburgers and fries, with a couple vanilla shakes. Soon, their order was ready, and they went back home.
After they ate, Sam went back into her room and closed the door. She felt horrible when she saw what lay in front of her.
Her poor cat, Felix. He sat there and looked at her, meowing so loudly it sounded pained.
"Felix! Oh my God, I forgot to feed you, and it's already 5. I can't believe this... I'm so sorry bud..." She said exasperated, digging into her bag to find a couple of cans of cat food and a small bowl she had brought for Felix to eat before she had to go buy him food here. She popped the can open, pouring the wet contents into the bowl, and placing it on the wooden floor in front of Felix. The cat dug in, eating like that meal would be his last. Sam didn't blame him.
For the next 3 hours, Sam was in her room, pretty bored, but happy nonetheless. She spent a good amount of her time listening to some rock records, reading through her old motorcycle catalogs, the now-full Felix lying beside her, purring, as she idly stroked him. At about 8, her mom called her out. She crawled out of bed, careful not to wake her cat, and walked out to the living room, where her mom sat, sewing an apparent rip in a sweater.
"Hey, I have to run out to the store to pick up a few things, I forgot all about it today. There's plenty of food and stuff here if you wanted to stay, but you can go out to the boardwalk if you'd like." Sam's face lit up. "But be careful." Her mom stated, not joking around. "There are some crazy people here, and I don't want you to be kidnapped right after you got here!" She joked, but there was sincerity in her voice.
"Gotcha. Thanks, Mom!" She said. She went to her room, grabbed her leather jacket, and slipped it on over the clothes she had been wearing all day. She went to leave through the front door, but her mom stopped her.
"Give me a kiss, will ya?" She asked, grinning. Sam obliged, but after the kiss, when her mom went in for the hug, she turned away. She wasn't sure if her efforts to be discreet were in vain or not, but she didn't truly care.
"Bye, Mom," she said quickly, running out to the garage. She pulled her bike out, and was off.
It only took her a minute to get to the boardwalk on her bike. It was late now, the sun had just set and it was pretty dark, but the lights of her bike gave her a small field of vision in front of her. Deciding she didn't want to stop the ride, she went around the boardwalk, still on her bike, and proceeded down the beach.
Some people were there, but something took over Sam, and she hit full throttle. Trying not to hit anyone, she couldn't really help the sand flying up into their faces, earning her unnoticed glares and finger gestures, and very noticed swearing and yells. She just laughed; she didn't care about anything right now. Just the wind in her face, the excitement of a night ride. After about 20 minutes of riding, she called it quits for now. She drove up to the boardwalk, took out a golden chain lock that she bought with her own money while her mother and her were walking around the boardwalk, and linked the bike to a fence next to the boardwalk.
She walked up the steps, realizing that it was even more crowded now than it was earlier. She smiled. Usually, she would rather be in her own company, preferring not to be in a crowd, but right now, she could do with some kind of distraction. She looked up at the multi-colored lights laminating from a carousal right in front of her, and that's when she saw them.
Now, Sam wasn't coordinated at all, but she knew that even the most graceful person couldn't walk around a moving carousal as smoothly as those boys did. Each of them showed a different expression on their faces, but all four of them looked like they truly knew something that no one else didn't.
The first one in the line of four was a platinum blonde wearing black pants, a black shirt, a small grey jacket, and a long black trench coat over that. Completing the outifit were a pair of black gloves along with some black boots, and a cigarette tucked neatly behind his ear. He looked the most smug out of the four, and as he stopped briefly with two hand on either horse beside him, he glanced around, a small smile coming across his 5 o'clock shadow. His bright blue eyes glimmered, it seemed, looking for excitement.
The next to come around was the only brunette of the group, with dark brown eyes to match. He pulled himself with his hands onto either horse beside him, swinging his legs in the air. He then jumped down, grinning at his friend behind him, and swung his body around to follow the blonde Sam just saw. His jacket was extremely dirty leather, with nothing underneath, and it had a leopard design on one arm and many yarn and string bracelets covered his wrists. He also wore a necklace, and that same look in his eye, looking for something. Sam just couldn't figure out what.
Right behind the brunette was another blonde, although his hair was a little darker than the first. He wore a black jacket with long chains, nodding and smiling to the last teenager behind him. He, like the first two, a black jacket, and when he smiled, his snow-white teeth shown against his otherwise dark ensemble. His net-like shirt bore tiny holes that allowed some vision through to his fit torso. He also wore white jeans. Once again, he had that look in his eyes. He continued on after the first two teens.
The final young man was another blonde, except his hair was curlier and more golden than the first two. He was definitely the youngest, even if by only a year. He flashed a small, slightly creepy Cheshire cat-like grin as he peered around the ride with blue eyes, just as bright as the first guy. He had a white tank top on underneath one of the most interesting jackets Sam had ever seen. It was a collage of all different shapes, pictures, and colors. He put his thumb up to his mouth, his hands covered in fingerless gloves, and he started to lightly chew on his nail. He wore the same smug look as the others as he followed suit.
Sam couldn't keep her eyes off them, pushing her way to the front of a small crowd that was lining around the carousal, most likely parents and friends of those on the ride. She watched as the platinum blonde approached a small bench, which carried a pretty blonde girl in a jean jacket, with her apparent boyfriend, who had hair that strongly resembled a skunk. They were surrounded by many other guys, probably all part of some gang or something. The blonde put his hand around the girl's cheek, caressing it lightly for a moment, before continuing on his way. This action didn't go unnoticed, however, because just as the carousal turned out of view from Sam, the skunk-haired dude grabbed a hold of the brunettes jacket, starting a small riot. Sam craned her neck to see, and as they came back into view, the platinum blonde reached his hand up and effortlessly, yet strongly, held the girl's boyfriend back with one hand as the others in Skunk-hair's gang violently pushed and shoved the other three. It stopped as soon as it started, however, when a heavy security guard with a dark brown mustache placed his baton around the blonde's throat, pulling him back.
A bunch of guys in Skunk-hair's going for the young, curly-haired boy in the interesting jacket stopped as they noticed the guard, and the other blonde pulled him away. Just then, with his baton still wrapped around the platinum blonde's throat, the guard spoke.
"I told you to stay off the boardwalk," he said calmly, obviously talking to the four boys.
The platinum blonde laughed slightly, his hand around the baton that was holding him close to the guard.
"Okay, boys, let's go," he sighed. The guard pulled down the baton forcefully, and the three other boys walked away solemnly, before jumping off the carousal. The platinum blonde stayed on, walking with the other boys from the carousal, before jumping off with them and heading into the crowd.
As they walked, the blonde with the white pants caught Sam looking at them. He shook his head and laughed, and Sam felt a blush violate her cheeks. She looked down, but she forced herself to look up again. The boys were no longer in her field of view.
Sam walked around a little more, but she couldn't get the thought of the boys out of her head. Something about them was strange, borderline eerie, like they were omitting some sort of strange power. Sam knew they weren't your average thugs.
A couple hours later, as Sam was heading to get her bike, all the lights went off on the boardwalk, signaling its closedown. She hopped onto her bike and started it. She looked up and saw the guard that stopped the boys earlier heading to the parking lot. She gave it no thought before speeding off, but little did she know how little time he had left.
Thanks for reading! I promise, the next chapter will be much more interesting, I know what's going to happen and I'm beginning to write it now. It would be amazing if you could R&R? :D