After.

Santa Carla hadn't changed a bit. Thirty years later, and it was the exact same. A grin grew across Evangeline's face as she and the boys drove down the boardwalk. It had been twenty-five years since they left, and they figured they would pay it a visit. They hadn't really changed all too much besides the young ones.

Laddie had changed at the age of eighteen, drinking from a man who had been messing with Star all night. Sam had changed around nineteen, not wanting to be the older brother no matter how much he would've joked about it. Rain had died in the mid-90s which truly hurt us all, but we had gotten a hellhound to replace him after a few years, though he still wasn't my beloved dog.

In the matters of the boys, Marko had cut his long hair short around the early 90s and has kept it ever since. He no longer wore his chaps and boots after they got destroyed one night by a guy who carried a knife. His patched jacket – a few days of contemplation – had been thrown into the ocean in the early 00s. He now wore a spiked jacket with paintings covering it instead of the patches. It was something I had helped him with for three nights in a row.

Dwayne kept his hair long, though it was styled different, and his wardrobe had barely changed. The only difference was his boots which he had swapped for a different pair that was similar yet different.

Paul had also cut his hair, unfortunately, but he still used just as much hairspray as he pushed it up in crazy styles that somehow always fit. He had changed his pants from white to black, and he had gotten nipple piercings one night when he was drunk, though he found them hilarious the next night. His clunky boots were replaced with sleeker ones, and he now had a tattoo crawling up his side after a night where they realized they could still get them, a silver wolf, funnily enough.

David had left behind his trench coat in favor of a leather jacket I had gotten him one Christmas in the late 90s. He also loved hanging chains from his belt and neck, something that he pulled off surprisingly well. He also now had initials for me and the three others on each wrist and ankle.

My fashion was still the same. I never stuck to one outfit like the boys could. I just loved trying different styles and outfits. That includes the time I let Paul spike my hair into a mohawk and dress me for the day. It was a complete disaster, and I went out in a tight miniskirt and crop top that barely covered anything. We weren't out very long before the boys dragged me back home to do some activities.

Star and Michael were going strong as were Max and Lucy, and I truly couldn't be happier than I was.

We pulled up to where we used to park our bikes and easily got off, looking around at everyone at the boardwalk. Even the people hadn't changed. The boardwalk was still filled with people of all kinds. The only change was the trends in clothing and talking.

I leaned against Dwayne and hummed along to the songs playing over the speakers. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and we eyed the different shops surrounding each side of the boardwalk. They seemed a lot better than what there used to be.

Marko and Paul were holding hands, and Paul was talking excitedly about how he wanted ice cream and how he found a new dealer that would sell them weed for cheaper. One thing that was definitely better about the time change was the acceptance growing around LGBT+ couples. Though Marko and Paul could always kill the person who said anything about them, it was nice to be able to walk around in public and hold hands or kiss without having to hear someone grumble and call them slurs every time. There were still moments, but it was becoming easier and easier to be more open about it.

David was on my other side, smoking a cigarette as he looked around. Anyone else would have thought he was bored, but I could see the little glint in his eyes that signified that he was intrigued about what was around him.

Star and Michael had disappeared on their own with the promise to meet us at the cave. Laddie and Sam left to check out the new comic shop with the same promise.

"I missed this place," I mumbled.

Dwayne hummed and nodded, looking down at me as he walked. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Too long," I replied.

Paul led us into an ice-cream shop with an excited pep in his step. It was a small place that reminded me of the diner we used to go to every now and then, the 50s theme very prominent. Paul ordered something with heaping amounts of chocolate, Marko ordered birthday cake ice cream with no toppings, Dwayne got cookie dough with chocolate drizzle, I got the same, and David got plain vanilla. Soon, we were skipping out of the store with a bit of a pep in our steps after Marko had paid.

Marko ran a well-known Instagram page with amazing artwork. He used me as reference most of the time, but I didn't mind. It was the only way I could see what I looked like.

After stopping at a railing, I climbed up like I always did, and I froze as I heard a voice I hadn't heard in years.

"Evangeline?"

I turned to the sound and met the eyes of Marigold. She had aged beautifully with barely any wrinkles. Her hair was longer than I had last seen it, and she had gained a bit of weight, but she was still my Marigold.

"Marigold," I questioned. Marigold's eyes were wide, and I realized how crazy we must look. We hadn't aged at all in thirty-one years. "It's been a long time," I stated, trying to get her to talk."

Marigold gave me a small smile before moving forward and wrapping her arms around me. "I don't want to question how you look like you do, but I do want to say that I missed you. You just disappeared out of the blue one day. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into her hair, sighing softly. "I should've said goodbye." Marigold pulled away and held her purse in both hands. "You look as beautiful as ever."

Marigold let a soft blush cover her cheeks and she smiled again. "You were always so sweet to me. I don't look all too amazing, though. My kids really messed me up."

I nodded. "They'll do that."

"You have no idea."

We both turned our heads as two teenagers approached her, both yelling 'mom' at the top of their lungs. They were both about seventeen with gold hair like their mother and bright grins. Twins.

"Mom! Did you see the bikes parked over there? There's eight of them, and they're all beautiful!" One of the boys pointed over to where the boys and I had parked our bikes as the other spoke.

Marigold raised her eyebrows and turned to me. "You're still riding those things," she questioned.

I laughed a bit and shrugged my shoulders. "You always loved taking rides with me, Sunshine. There wasn't a day you didn't want to ride."

Marigold grinned a bright grin and shook her head. "You got me."

"Mom, who are they," one of the twins questioned.

"Old friends of your mom," I replied.

"You don't look very old," the other twin spoke, crossing his arms.

"Looks can be deceiving, kid."

The boys chuckled, and the twins shrugged their shoulders. "I like your bikes."

"Wanna ride," Paul offered, leaning against the railing beside me. The other boys nodded, and we all awaited their answer.

"Can we, mom," one of the twins questioned.

"Can we, please," the other pleaded.

Marigold stared at me and nodded. "Yeah, go ahead."

My boys whooped loudly, and Paul and Marko wrapped their arms around the boys' necks. I hopped down and watched them move toward the bikes, knowing they wouldn't leave without me. I grabbed Marigold's hands and gave her a soft smile.

"Take care of them, will you," she questioned. "I trust you. Keep them safe."

I nodded before pulling her into another hug, letting a tear drop down my cheek. "I missed you, Sunshine."

"I missed you too, Sandy." I felt a few tears hit my shoulder, and I let out a shuddering breath. "Bring 'em back to me in one piece, will you," she questioned as she pulled away, wiping at her cheeks. "I don't care if they become one of you if it means they get to be happy. Just – Just keep them safe. They mean a lot to me."

"Of course. I love you." And I meant it. It had been years since I told my boys that I wasn't sure if I would ever get over the brown-eyed girl, and I never did. There were always days where I missed her dearly. She was my first love, and it was a love I could never forget.

I lifted a hand to place on her cheek, and she placed her hand on mine. "I love you, too. I always have. I always will."

I bit my lip and pulled away. "I guess this is goodbye. For real this time."

Marigold gave me a watery smile and nodded. "Yeah, probably. Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other one last time."

"I sure hope so." I let another tear fall down my cheek before biting my lip and stepping away. "Goodbye, Marigold."

"Goodbye, Evangeline."

Then, I was walking away and so was she. I wiped my cheek and took a deep breath before approaching the bikes, giving them a fake confident grin. My boys' eyes watched me cautiously, and I gave them a simple nod to let them know I was okay.

I climbed onto my bike and started the engine, taking note of the fact that one twin was behind Paul while the other was behind Dwayne.

"Let's ride, boys."

A/N: I want it to be known that I fucking bawled while I wrote this - no joke. I've gotten so attached to this story and characters, and I wrote this in only one months which is fucking crazy and I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported this story and helped me keep it going because it means so goddamn much to me, you don't even understand. Writing this really was a coping mechanism when I was having bad days or good days and I needed to let it out. I just love you guys so goddamn much, and I hope you enjoyed this dumbass story that didn't have any rhyme or reason to it.

If you want to support me, I have a story I just started on Wattpad called Thicker than Water. If you liked this, you'll most likely like that. (The gang is called The Lost Boys but it's not ThESE lost boys. I'm sorry.)

Anyway. I love you. You can find me on Tumblr sarcxstic-stilinski or instagram Goodnight and goodbye.

Here's some pictures of me since I realized y'all don't know what I look like lmao